“终于”的副词化及其功能扩展

Adverbialization of "Zhongyu(终于)" and Its Functional Expansion

早在先秦时期,“结束、终结”义动词“终”和介词“于”就在线性顺序上紧邻,出现于句式“终于NP/VP”中,不过“终于”是跨层结构。在韵律制约、状语的句法位置、VP的语义变化、较高的使用频率等因素的共同作用下,跨层结构“终于”最迟在南北朝时期被重新分析为时间副词。“终于”副词化后,功能发生了扩展:一是后接成分由VP扩展到AP;二是后接成分的意义由消极义扩展到积极义,且以积极义为主。

As early as the pre-qin period,the verb"Zhong(终)"means to end and the preposition"Yu(于)"appeared in the sentence pattern"Zhongyu NP/VP(终于NP/VP)"in a linear order,but"Zhongyu(终于)"was a cross layer structure.Under the combined effect of prosodic constraints,syntactic position of adver-bial,semantic changes of VP and high frequency of use,the cross layer structure"Zhongyu(终于)"was re-analyzed as an adverb of time in the Northern and Southern Dynasties at the latest.After the adverbializa-tion of"Zhongyu(终于)",the functions have expanded:first,the following elements has expanded from VP to AP;second,the meaning of the following elements has also expanded from negative meaning to pos-itive meaning,with positive meaning as the main meaning.