语气词“呢”的功能及来源再议

Revisiting the Function and Origin of Modal Particle Ne

人们通常认为,语气词"呢"有事态和情态两种用法,前者表"持续",后者表"申明",后者是前者语法化的结果,而表"持续"的"呢"则是由方位词"里"("裏")虚化而来的。然而,对"呢"的用法与来源的考察告诉我们,"呢"(包括其曾用字)本质上或为记音字或称象声词,表示确认及申明语气,提醒听话人注意某一事态为其基本功能。某些语境中的"呢"之所以能读出持续义,主要是人的回溯推理能力在起作用。可以说,持续义是"呢"字句的语境浮现义,是一种语用衍推义。即便是"呢"在某些语句中的"持续义"已经不断得到强化乃至规约化,甚而可被列为独立的义项,我们依然应当承认这是语用法语法化的结果。

It is generally believed that lated to event, and the other to modality, tion＇ and evolving from the locative word the modal particle ne（呢）has two usages, one re the former expressing the meaning of ＇continuali （里）, and the latter indicating ＇declaration＇ as the result of grammaticalization of the former. However, synchronic and diachronic studies show that ne （including its older forms） in essence is either a character of phonetic notation or an onomatopoeia. Its basic function is to call the hearer＇s attention, and to express confirmation and declaration. The reason that ne is considered to have a meaning of continuation is mainly attributed to people＇s abduction ability. In other words, the continuation meaning of ne emerges from the context, and is the result of pragmatic inference. Even though the meaning of continuation has been reinforced and standardized in some sentences, or has even been seen as an independent meaning of he, it should still be recognized as the result of pragmatic grammaticalization.