汉英表量词的符号学对比研究

Cntrastive study on semiotics of measure words between Chinese and English

表量词是人类语言符号体系中一个特殊的组成部分,既标示单位和量,也表示类型和性状,在汉语中已立类,但在英语中仍然作为名词的一种特殊类型对待。从形式、意义和功能角度对比分析,可以认识到汉英两种语言中的表量词既有在类别、功能、搭配等方面的许多相同或相似之处,也存在诸如表量词数量、结构、可数个体名词表量等差异。对于汉英两种语言中不使用表量词的情况,也可以从符号学的宏观视角将其视为隐性量词、零量词或无标记。

Measure words, signifying the unit of measurement, quantity, type, shape, and other properties of things and events, are a special component of the semiotic system of human language. A contrastive analysis of them between Chinese and English from the perspectives of form, meaning and function demonstrated such similarities as of classification, the roles they play, and their collocation with other words, as well as difference like the number of such words, their combination with other words, and the expression of individualization of count nouns. From the viewpoint of semiotics, the absence of measure words in both languages may be understood as implicit or zero measures or unmarkedness.