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Towards a Linguistic Theory of Specification Based on a Verb Grammar
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 3, May 2022
Pages:
176-180
Received:
1 April 2022
Accepted:
15 April 2022
Published:
10 May 2022
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijll.20221003.11
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Abstract: The theoretical linguistic proposal that I call “a theory of specification based on a verb grammar” relies on the thesis that human language logically, cognitively, semantically and above all syntactically is built around a do-verb, constituting what I call “action trinity”: source of the action – ACTION – recipient of the action (which in terms of syntax corresponds to: SUBJECT – do-VERB – OBJECT [for transitive verbs]). The same structure applies to the predicative (be-verbs) syntax, which denotes “identification” (SUBJECT + be-VERB + PREDICATE). Reconsidering the view that the sentence (S) consists essentially of a noun phrase (NP) and a verb phrase (VP), we argue that what more efficiently describes its nature is to consider it as a verb phrase (VP) specified by the other components of an action trinity: (obligatorily) the noun phrase (NP) “subject”, functioning normally as the “actuator” of the verb, and (optionally) the complements of the verb, functioning either as objects (NP1 and/ or NP2) or as predicates. All the other linguistic components (adjective, adverb, article, pronoun, preposition, conjunction, etc.) are actually specific components that surround and refine semantically and syntactically this “action trinity”. Such a verb-based view of the sentence is consistent with a theory that the process of constructing meaning is a constant course from coral elements to more specific ones, leading thus to the creation of larger grammatical, syntactic and lexical structures. This article is the result of long personal research, which began with a joint publication on the subject together with my colleague Christos Clairis back in 2002 and has since continued with a view to publishing a book I have been working on. My contribution could be considered a “challenge” to think over the role of the verbs in sentences in a way I have found very promising in mother tongue teaching strategies.
Abstract: The theoretical linguistic proposal that I call “a theory of specification based on a verb grammar” relies on the thesis that human language logically, cognitively, semantically and above all syntactically is built around a do-verb, constituting what I call “action trinity”: source of the action – ACTION – recipient of the action (which in terms of...
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Word Model Analysis of 2021 Internet Hot Word “X Zi” Under the Background of Internet Information Age
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 3, May 2022
Pages:
181-185
Received:
9 April 2022
Accepted:
28 April 2022
Published:
10 May 2022
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijll.20221003.12
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Abstract: “X Zi” is very common in modern Chinese. As a buzzword on the Internet platform in 2021, “X Zi” has undergone syntactic and semantic changes. In this paper, the syntactic structure, derivation mechanism and semantic correlation framework of “X Zi” are studied by using the word model theory. This paper proposes that “Zi” was originally the root of the word, indicating the younger lineal relatives; Then generalize to plant and animal offspring, “lineal kinship” and “human sense” fall off; Then it further generalized to small things, and the meaning of “young age meaning” fell off and developed into “affix like”; Finally, it completely becomes “affix” and becomes “nominalization symbol”, and its meaning gradually falls off. The semantic derivation of “X Zi” structure is related to the change of human cognition, and its popularity also reflects the memetics, relevance theory, economy and analogy principles of language.
Abstract: “X Zi” is very common in modern Chinese. As a buzzword on the Internet platform in 2021, “X Zi” has undergone syntactic and semantic changes. In this paper, the syntactic structure, derivation mechanism and semantic correlation framework of “X Zi” are studied by using the word model theory. This paper proposes that “Zi” was originally the root of t...
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A Quantitative and Comparative Study of Synonyms Between Malaysian “Huayu” and Mandarin
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 3, May 2022
Pages:
186-191
Received:
12 April 2022
Accepted:
26 April 2022
Published:
10 May 2022
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijll.20221003.13
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Abstract: Global Chinese also called global “Huayu” is a unique and valuable language resource in the world. Lexical differences are one of the prominent distinctions among Chinese variants in different Huayu communities, which are manifested in three cases—characteristic words, homographs and synonyms according to the similarities and differences between names and realities. Based on the Grand Global Chinese Dictionary, this paper establishes a database of synonyms among Malaysian Chinese and Mandarin which includes 529 items, and makes a quantitative comparative study on these synonymous words from the following five aspects: distribution of word classes, quantities of sememes, sources of loanwords, correspondence of alternative words and the convergence among Huayu communities. According to the statistics, the synonyms and notional words are mainly nouns, besides there are verbs, adjectives, quantifiers, onomatopoeia, distinguishing words and so on; most of them are monosyllabic words, meanwhile the polysemous words are mainly words with two sememes, and there are a few words with three or four sememes; the loanwords among them are derived from English in quantities, and mainly in the form of transliteration, partial transliteration or semantic transliteration; the quantitative correspondence is mostly one-to-one, and more are shared by two/three/four districts, reflecting the economic and cultural exchanges, language contact and integration of various Huayu communities. This paper shows the overall situation of synonymous words in Malaysian Chinese and Mandarin, which is conducive to breaking the lexical communication barriers in the language communication and will also provide important conditions for the information processing of Malaysian Chinese.
Abstract: Global Chinese also called global “Huayu” is a unique and valuable language resource in the world. Lexical differences are one of the prominent distinctions among Chinese variants in different Huayu communities, which are manifested in three cases—characteristic words, homographs and synonyms according to the similarities and differences between na...
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Discursive Struggle in Social Media from the Perspective of Theory of Communicative Action
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 3, May 2022
Pages:
192-196
Received:
21 April 2022
Accepted:
6 May 2022
Published:
12 May 2022
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijll.20221003.14
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Abstract: With the development of the mobile Internet, people are overwhelmed with the upgrading of social media platforms and functions. This undoubtedly provides users with multiple and open access to interaction, infiltrates new ways of social networking. This important change not only presents considerable opportunities for the new age society but also creates the “perfect platform” for the struggle for social media discourse transferred from offline. However, how this transfer can further exert the discourse struggle of social communication media while continuing the previous social interaction needs to be reconsidered. The process of intensive interaction between social media and social development strengthens the possibility of traditional discursive struggle. This also shows that although the forms of social interaction have changed, they have not changed the basic reality of human social interaction. This interactive process of discourse and struggle that occurs in social interaction continues to deepen, evolve, continue and reconstruct the discursive struggle. If we take Habermas’ theory of communicative action as the discursive framework, and take the discursive struggle in social media as the communicative variable in the “public sphere”, then we can find that the key factors that affect the emergence and evolution of discursive struggle are relative to the model that the “ego” integrates into social media for his or her discursive struggle.
Abstract: With the development of the mobile Internet, people are overwhelmed with the upgrading of social media platforms and functions. This undoubtedly provides users with multiple and open access to interaction, infiltrates new ways of social networking. This important change not only presents considerable opportunities for the new age society but also c...
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An Analysis of the Noun Plague and Its Solutions in Chinese-English Translation
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 3, May 2022
Pages:
197-205
Received:
17 April 2022
Accepted:
4 May 2022
Published:
12 May 2022
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijll.20221003.15
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Abstract: Noun plague, one of the most prominent manifestations of Chinglish first introduced by Ms. Joan Pinkham in The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish. means the extensive use of unnecessary and vague nouns in English sentences making the sentences appear long, ambiguous, and confusing. Abusive use of nouns is a most frequent error in translation due to the influence of thinking patterns and culture, which will inevitably make the style of translation complex, long, obscure, and lifeless, so understand the causes of noun plague and avoid it with appropriate methods are much of importance. This article aims to solve the translation problem of noun plague by discovering and sorting its different types, analyzing the causes of noun plague, and exploring its solutions to all kinds, to promote methods to improve the level of translation from a theoretical perspective. This article will help translation conforms to the expression habits of native speakers, and improve Chinese-English translation skills for translation learners, and the results of this study can help translators reduce the impact of thinking patterns influenced by native language and cultural intrusion on the accuracy and vividness of translation. This study has enlightening effects on Chinese-English translation and its education as well as English and Chinese writing and teaching.
Abstract: Noun plague, one of the most prominent manifestations of Chinglish first introduced by Ms. Joan Pinkham in The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish. means the extensive use of unnecessary and vague nouns in English sentences making the sentences appear long, ambiguous, and confusing. Abusive use of nouns is a most frequent error in translation due to th...
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An Approach to the Use of the Spanish Connectors cuando and mientras in Argumentative Contexts
Mariana Morón Usandivaras
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 3, May 2022
Pages:
206-215
Received:
13 May 2022
Accepted:
28 May 2022
Published:
9 June 2022
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijll.20221003.16
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Abstract: This study aims at analysing the differences and similarities in the use of the Spanish temporal connectors cuando (when) and mientras (while) in argumentative discourse contexts, with a special emphasis on their capacity to express semantic values that exceed temporal limits, i.e., cause, consequence, condition, contrast, concession, etc. These semantic relationships have indeed been studied in the clauses introduced by mientras, although they are not usually considered in the clauses preceded by cuando, because it is considered the temporal connector par excellence and, therefore, linguists focus on the different aspect-temporal nuances it can manifest. However, as I have shown in a previous research, cuando can also manifest rhetorical values in certain contexts. As expressed in the Prototypical Cognitive Approach (PCA), we understand that grammar emerges from discourse, imposing a usage-based approach within the situational and discourse context. We consider the speaker always selects a given form of speech instead of another and, consequently, this is a significant choice. Therefore, we are starting from the assumption that cuando and mientras are used in different discourse contexts to express different meanings. Hence, a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the use of these two connectors will be carried out on the bases of the two argumentative texts De la anarquía y sus dos causas principales by Juan Bautista Alberdi and the genetic edition on Alberdi´s text El crimen de la guerra by Lois. Qualitative parameters selected are the following: (a) context of the discourse fragment, (b) distribution of information, (c) temporal relationship between the connected clauses, (d) rhetoric values between the clauses, (e) position of the clause introduced by the temporal connector (f) changes in tense, aspect and/or mood between the connected clauses. The results of this analysis, coincidentally with Spanish grammars, indicate that cuando is a connector positioned in the centre of the category of temporal relationships since it prefers narrative contexts and expresses a pure temporality; whereas mientras is found in the category periphery or departs from that centre and is preferably used in contexts of hybrid temporality.
Abstract: This study aims at analysing the differences and similarities in the use of the Spanish temporal connectors cuando (when) and mientras (while) in argumentative discourse contexts, with a special emphasis on their capacity to express semantic values that exceed temporal limits, i.e., cause, consequence, condition, contrast, concession, etc. These se...
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A Study of Lexicalization Patterns for Motion Verbs in English and French Based on Boundary Constraints
Issue:
Volume 10, Issue 3, May 2022
Pages:
216-219
Received:
23 May 2022
Accepted:
9 June 2022
Published:
16 June 2022
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijll.20221003.17
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Abstract: Talmy presents his two-way typology of verb-framed and satellite-framed languages based on his motion event. The typology is determined by how the Path of movement is expressed. In verb-framed languages, Path is expressed by the main verb, whereas in satellite-framed languages, Path is expressed by an element associated with the verb. French as a typical V-language expresses both the fact of Motion and the Path in the verb itself, whereas English as a typical S-language expresses both Motion and the Manner in the verb, and path is expressed by an element associated with the verb. However, Talmy’ two-way typology is too simplistic. English and French do not behave in the same way as Talmy’s description. This study proposes boundary constraints on lexicalization between English and French motion verbs. We collected 150 English motion verbs and 100 French motion verbs to examine their lexicalization patterns. The results show that English prefers to incorporate both Path and Manner in verbs when the path is coincident with the ground, while it uses manner verbs occurring with path expressions when the path is not coincident with the ground. About half of French motion verbs are manner verbs and they tends to occur with path phrases when no boundary crossing is indicated.
Abstract: Talmy presents his two-way typology of verb-framed and satellite-framed languages based on his motion event. The typology is determined by how the Path of movement is expressed. In verb-framed languages, Path is expressed by the main verb, whereas in satellite-framed languages, Path is expressed by an element associated with the verb. French as a t...
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