英语名词词组中后置修饰语使用选择的次范畴化解释

A subcategorizational account of the selection of postmodifiers in English noun phrases

英语名词词组中的后置修饰语有分类性和非分类性两种,前者以自身所指特征为参照对名词所指事物进行次范畴化,其结果暗含对立次范畴;后者以自身所指特征为信息对名词所指事物作出补充说明,其结果不暗含对立次范畴。根据这一功能差异,分类性和非分类性后置修饰语使用选择的标准是名词所指事物能否和是否需要次范畴化。据此标准,分类性后置修饰语用于可以并需要次范畴化的名词之后,非分类性后置修饰语用于不可以和不需要次范畴化的名词之后。本文用此标准对英语名词词组中后置修饰语的使用选择做出了合理的解释。

Postmodifiers in English noun phrases fall into classifying postmodifiers and nonclassifying postmodifiers.The former play the function of subcategorizing the THING referred to by the noun.They do so by taking what they refer to as the reference point and result in suggesting the existence of contrastive subcategories.The latter supplement the THING with what they refer to as additional information,which does not result in suggesting the existence of contrastive subcategories.In view of this difference between classifying and nonclassifying postmodifiers,whether the THING referred to by the noun is subcategorizable and needs to be subcategorized becomes the criterion for selecting between the two kinds of postmodifiers,according to which classifying postmodifiers can occur with nouns referring to things that are subcategorizable and need to be subcategorized,and nonclassifying postmodifiers can occur with nouns referring to things that are not subcategorizable and need not be subcategorized.By applying the criterion,this paper offers an account for the selection between classifying and nonclassifying postmodifiers in English noun phrases.