Research on the Category of Difference in Modern Chinese

Author: Xu Guoping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Based on a thorough review and summary of previous research, this book delves into the most important comparative issues in comparative studies, making significant contributions and enriching the research on comparative categories in Chinese. This academic work exhibits several noteworthy characteristics. First, it employs the prototype category theory and methodology of cognitive linguistics to establish comparative categories in modern Chinese, differing from previous studies in theoretical foundations and perspective selection. Second, the author argues that comparative categories are prototype categories, possessing continuity and boundary ambiguity, and applies the proposed criteria to provide detailed analyses of controversial comparative formats, suggesting that deviations from certain attributes may lead to changes in meaning or functional shifts. Third, the book focuses on several key issues in comparative category research, including the negation of comparative categories, asymmetric structures in comparative comparisons, the distribution of modal meanings in comparative sentences, and the grammaticalization of the comparative marker "bùrú." The discussions are well-focused, supported by abundant linguistic data, and highlight the continuity of many categories. It is highly valuable for researchers in related fields to refer to and read this work.