现代汉语致使结构的形式 - 功能对应关系研究 = On The Formal-Functional Correlation Of The Modern Mandarin Causative Constructions

Abstract

The dissertation investigates the causative constructions in Modern Mandarin Chinese under the theoretical framework of Givon?s (1991, 2001) functional-typological grammar. Particular attention is paid to the formal-functional correlation of the Modern Mandarin causative constructions. The causative constructions which we focus on consist of the ?shi? sentences, ?ba? sentences, ?bei? sentences, pivotal sentences, V+?de? sentences, causative sentences, resultative constructions and verb copying sentences. It suggests that there are isomorphic correlations between the formal and functional devices. The formal devices are the degree of form compactness, the requirement of causer or causee?s emerging and the semantic bond scale of causative verbs. The functional devices are efficiency of causation and diversity of causative constructions. Based on the facts presented in my dissertation, three claims on the form-function correlation are made: a. the higher the efficiency of causation and diversity of causative constructions, the higher the degree of form compactness, the lower the requirement of causer or causee?s emerging, and vice versa; b. the higher the causative verb on the semantic bond scale, the higher the degree of form compactness of the causative construction which the causative verb emerged, and vice versa; c. there is a relation between the semantic bond scales of causative verbs and the formal typology of causative constructions. In Chapter 7, similar phenomena in English and Dulong language are also explored. My Cross-linguistic investigation suggests that these hypotheses about causative constructions are universal across all the languages which have two or more kinds of causative constructions.