自由关系分句中介词的隐现规律及认知探析

Exploring the Cognitive Motivation of the Covert and Overt Patterns of English Prepositions in Free Relative Clause

基于认知语法的突显观对介词词类的定义,借助空间隐喻理论,论述了自由关系分句中句末介词的隐现规律及认知理据。研究发现:(1)在空间语域里,当主从句中的介词属于同一类别时,句末介词因可预测性高、认知突显度低而容许省略,否则必须明示。(2)在时间语域里,自由关系分句的介词必须省略,根本原因是时间与空间的范畴有别,时间介词是空间介词的隐喻延伸用法,去掉介词能避免与空间语义混淆。(3)自由关系分句中的介词在句法位置上偏离了原型用法,增加了人们的认知处理负担,因而常被省略,直至完全消失于时间语域范围内主从复合句的句末。

Based on the prominence view in cognitive grammar and its definition of a preposition, this thesis stresses the difference between spatial and metaphorical meanings of English prepositions in the framework of spatial metaphorical theory. The paper discusses the covert and overt patterns of prepositions in free relative clause and the motivation of the phenomena. The research has revealed that; 1） in the spatial domain, when both prepositions in the complex sentence belong to the same type, the preposition in the free relative clause can be omitted due to high predictability and low prominence, otherwise they should remain overt; 2） in the temporal domain, the preposition must keep covert in order to avoid confusion between the spatial and temporal categories; 3） the prepositions in a relative clause deviate from the prototypical usage, thus adds extra burden to human cognition, which has probably resulted in its omission, even complete covertness.