象似性视野下的英汉名词重叠对比

A Contrastive Study of Noun Reduplications Between English and Chinese from the Perspective of Iconicity

重叠广泛存在于英语和汉语。本文以语言象似性为参照,采取定量与定性相结合的方法对比英汉名词重叠典型成员。英语往往表现为部分重叠或辅元音变换,而汉语则往往表现为完全重叠或同语素叠加。本文通过对语形和语义的分析,探寻隐匿于差异现象背后的深层动因。结果发现,英语名词重叠的象似性主要体现于形式变化和语义度量的正相关,具有喻象象似性倾向,强调动作和状态的变化和增强,展现了其运动、改变和发展的时间性特点,反映于思维层面就是英语的强时间性;而汉语名词重叠的象似性则主要体现于形式复现和语义物量的正相关,具有映象象似性倾向,强调空间和范围的延展和扩大,彰显了其块状、离散和可逆的空间性特点,反映于思维层面就是汉语的强空间性。

Reduplications are pervasive both in English and Chinese.Partial reduplications are more commonly used in English while total/full reduplications are more often found in Chinese.From the perspective of iconicity,this paper attempts to make a comprehensive contrast between the English and Chinese noun reduplicative forms by the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods.Through the analysis of the forms and meanings between English and Chinese,the paper looks into the underlying motivation behind them.The results show that the iconicity of English noun reduplications has the tendency of metaphorical iconicity,mainly manifested in the positive correlation between formal changes and degrees of action or state,and showing the temporal trait of its movement,change and development by emphasizing its changes and enhancements,which can be characterized as English temporality in nature in terms of its way of thinking.In contrast,the iconicity of Chinese ones is Mainly imayic,chiefly revealed in the positive correlation between formal copies and numbers of objects,and displaying the spatial trait of its chunkiness,discreteness and reversibility by emphasizing the extension and expansion of space and scope,which can be defined as Chinese spatiality in substance in the light of its mode of thinking.