边缘范畴表达:以“半个NP”为例

Expressions of Peripheral Categories:The Example of“Ban Ge NP”

“半个NP”是多义构式,可以表达客观计量和主观认识两种语义功能,在形式上有一系列差异。过往研究只关注到客观计量,而对主观认识鲜有关注。本文基于构式语法和认知语言学的范畴观,探讨“半个NP”表主观认识的认知理据。研究认为,主观认识中的NP凸显内涵属性,具有原型效应,这有别于客观计量中的NP凸显外延指称。作为构式,“半个NP”的构式义可以归纳为“对客体属性的认知介于NP和非NP之间”,即客体是NP范畴的边缘成员。从客观计量到主观认识是构式化过程,机制是主观化和范畴化。研究发现,对边缘成员的范畴化能力也是我们的一般认知能力,英语与汉语有内在的认知一致性。

“Ban Ge NP”is a polysemantic construction that can express both objective measures and subjective perceptions,with a series of formal differences.Past research has focused only on objective measures,with little attention to subjective perceptions.This paper explores the cognitive basis for the subjective semantics of“Ban Ge NP”based on construction grammar and the categorization theory of cognitive linguistics.The paper holds that the subjective NP highlights perceptual attributes and has prototype effects,which is different from the objective NP that highlight measures and references.The constructional meaning of“Ban Ge NP”can be summarized as“the category membership of the object is between the NP and non-NP”,that is to say,the object is a peripheral member of the NP category.From objective measures to subjective perceptions is a process of constructionalization,involving mechanisms of subjectification and categorization.The paper also finds that the ability to categorize peripheral members is our general cognitive ability and that English and Chinese have an inherent cognitive consistency.