Verbs of creation in English and Chinese demonstrate asymmetries in its projection to double-object construction. But underling the projection process there is a uniform operation mechanism, namely that the configurat...Verbs of creation in English and Chinese demonstrate asymmetries in its projection to double-object construction. But underling the projection process there is a uniform operation mechanism, namely that the configuration is affected by the interaction between the Meaning Assignment Principle （MAP）, the Distance Principle of Iconicity （DPI） and the Lexical Feature Constraints （LFC）, among which MAP and DPI are inviolable due to its cross-linguistic universality. Once LFC is violated, there must be compensation on the part of DPI, otherwise, the verb of creation in question would be unacceptable to double-object construction.展开更多
Verb-argument relation is a very important aspect of syntax-semantics interaction in sentence processing. Previous ERP （event related potentials） studies in this field concentrated on the relation between the verb a...Verb-argument relation is a very important aspect of syntax-semantics interaction in sentence processing. Previous ERP （event related potentials） studies in this field concentrated on the relation between the verb and its core arguments. The present study aims to reveal the ERP pattern of Chinese applied object structures （AOSs）, in which a peripheral argument is promoted to occupy the position of the patient object, as compared with the patient object structures （POSs）. The ERP data were collected when participants were asked to perform acceptability judgments about Chinese phrases. The result shows that, similar to the previous studies of number-of-argument violations, Chinese AOSs show a bilaterally distributed N400 effect. But different from all the previous studies of verb-argument relations, Chinese AOSs demonstrate a sustained anterior positivity （SAP）. This SAP, which is very rare in the studies related to complexity of argument structure operation, reflects the integration difficulty of the newly promoted arguments and the progressive nature of well-formedness checking in the processing of Chinese AOSs which is in accordance with the metonymic mechanism of non- patient objects in the relevant cognitive study. It shows that, in Chinese, which is a paratactic language, semantics （thematic roles） plays a more important role in the syntax-semantics interface than that in hypotactic languages.展开更多
From the perspective of Cognitive Grammar, this study investigates the semantic characteristics of, as well as the respective constraints on, the three （schematic） components of the Chinese ba-construction that are ...From the perspective of Cognitive Grammar, this study investigates the semantic characteristics of, as well as the respective constraints on, the three （schematic） components of the Chinese ba-construction that are essential in its constructional meaning, namely the pre-posed object, the main verb, and the resultative component, and concludes that the Chinese bd--construction describes a transition between two states of affairs, either intended or actualized, with the post- transitional state being the focus of attention, and that the semantic characteristics of its component structures, the main verb, the pre-posed object, and the resultative component in particular, synergistically contribute to the accentuation of this constructional meaning： the lexical aspect of the main verb signals the potential for transition; the high degree of specificity of the pre-posed object conserves cognitive resources as well as measures out the process denoted by the main verb; and the rich forms and the almost obligatory presence of the resultative component specify the post-transitional state and command the bearer＇s attention.展开更多
文摘Verbs of creation in English and Chinese demonstrate asymmetries in its projection to double-object construction. But underling the projection process there is a uniform operation mechanism, namely that the configuration is affected by the interaction between the Meaning Assignment Principle （MAP）, the Distance Principle of Iconicity （DPI） and the Lexical Feature Constraints （LFC）, among which MAP and DPI are inviolable due to its cross-linguistic universality. Once LFC is violated, there must be compensation on the part of DPI, otherwise, the verb of creation in question would be unacceptable to double-object construction.
基金supported Beijing Social Science Fund Project(17YYB024)The Importation and Development of HighCaliber Talents Project (The Great Wall Scholar Program)of Beijing Municipal Institutions(CIT&TCD20150303)
文摘Verb-argument relation is a very important aspect of syntax-semantics interaction in sentence processing. Previous ERP （event related potentials） studies in this field concentrated on the relation between the verb and its core arguments. The present study aims to reveal the ERP pattern of Chinese applied object structures （AOSs）, in which a peripheral argument is promoted to occupy the position of the patient object, as compared with the patient object structures （POSs）. The ERP data were collected when participants were asked to perform acceptability judgments about Chinese phrases. The result shows that, similar to the previous studies of number-of-argument violations, Chinese AOSs show a bilaterally distributed N400 effect. But different from all the previous studies of verb-argument relations, Chinese AOSs demonstrate a sustained anterior positivity （SAP）. This SAP, which is very rare in the studies related to complexity of argument structure operation, reflects the integration difficulty of the newly promoted arguments and the progressive nature of well-formedness checking in the processing of Chinese AOSs which is in accordance with the metonymic mechanism of non- patient objects in the relevant cognitive study. It shows that, in Chinese, which is a paratactic language, semantics （thematic roles） plays a more important role in the syntax-semantics interface than that in hypotactic languages.
文摘From the perspective of Cognitive Grammar, this study investigates the semantic characteristics of, as well as the respective constraints on, the three （schematic） components of the Chinese ba-construction that are essential in its constructional meaning, namely the pre-posed object, the main verb, and the resultative component, and concludes that the Chinese bd--construction describes a transition between two states of affairs, either intended or actualized, with the post- transitional state being the focus of attention, and that the semantic characteristics of its component structures, the main verb, the pre-posed object, and the resultative component in particular, synergistically contribute to the accentuation of this constructional meaning： the lexical aspect of the main verb signals the potential for transition; the high degree of specificity of the pre-posed object conserves cognitive resources as well as measures out the process denoted by the main verb; and the rich forms and the almost obligatory presence of the resultative component specify the post-transitional state and command the bearer＇s attention.
