标记理论和英语性别名词的标记性现象

Markedness Theory and the Markedness of English Gender Nouns

运用标记理论讨论英语性别名词的标记性现象时,我们发现英语中人称性别名词的标记现象比较简单,主要表现为阳性可以无标记而阴性有标记,尽管有时在语用中有所不同,阴性人称名词一般不能为无标记项;动物名词的标记现象较为复杂,阳性或阴性动物名词都有可能是无标记项和有标记项,但总的来说,英语性别名词的标记性在不同的语用环境中会出现种种不对称和标记颠倒及中和的情况。

This paper focuses on the application of markedness theory to the use of gender nouns in English. It is discovered that in English, personal masculine nouns tend to be unmarked while personal feminine nouns are marked, and that the distinction is not so clear-cut with animal nouns, for either masculine or feminine ones can be marked or unmarked. However, it is not unusual that asymmetry as well as markedness reversals and neutralization occur in the use of both personal and animal gender nouns.