试谈删略导致的语法化

Grammaticalization caused by ellipsis

以往在讨论删略与语言演变关系时主要聚焦于删略(或脱落)引发的词汇一语义演变、句法演变和语音演变。本文从语法化角度探讨删略引发的语言演变,将删略导致新的语法成分产生这一现象谓之“删略导致的语法化”。这类语法化最主要的特点是不涉及任何语用一语义过程,是一种典型的形式语法化。因为这种形式语法化本质上是一种定名学演变,所以很难用现有的基于符义学演变的语法化理论框架来描述和解释。本文的考察显示,删略导致的语法化现象广泛见于汉语方言和历史文献,源于删略的语法成分涉及指代词(人称代词、指示代词和疑问代词)、助动词、副词、介词、连词、体助词、语气词等多种功能语类。

This paper discusses language change,in particular,grammaticalization caused by ellipsis(GCE),from which new grammatical elements emerge.GCE is a typical formal change without anything involved on the pragmatic-semantic level.Since this kind of formal grammaticalization is essentially an onomasiological change,it is difficult to describe and explain it within the existing theoretical framework of semasiological change.The paper shows that CCE is widely observed in Chinese dialects and historical documents.Miscellaneous categories such as pronouns,auxiliary verbs,adverbs,prepositions,conjunctions,aspectual particles and modal particles can be generated via GCE.