000 | 03261nam a2200277 4500 | ||
---|---|---|---|
005 | 20200623235053.0 | ||
008 | 020130s2000 eng d | ||
020 | _a0612599825 | ||
040 |
_aSHU _cSHU _dSHU |
||
091 | _a263106 | ||
100 | 1 | _aKabata, Kaori. | |
245 | 1 | 0 | _aJapanese ni: A cognitive analysis of a lexically complex particle. |
300 | _a232 p. | ||
500 | _aSource: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 62-05, Section: A, page: 1816. | ||
500 | _aAdviser: Sally Rice. | ||
502 | _aThesis (Ph.D.)--University of Alberta (Canada), 2000. | ||
520 | _aThis dissertation addresses issues in lexical categorization. The main research question is how the meanings of a complex lexical item can best be represented. More specifically, I ask how many meanings are to be postulated, and whether and how these different meanings are related to each other. The focus of the study is on the Japanese particle, <italic>ni </italic>, whose senses are wide-ranging and span many different grammatical categories. Traditional models of lexical meaning or linguistic categorization simply cannot handle such diversity of behavior within a single lexical category in any coherent way. This study comprises a unified and empirically grounded analysis of <italic>ni</italic>'s diverse behavior. | ||
520 | _aBased on a detailed semantic analysis of an extensive array of synchronic data, I propose a network model for the semantic structure of <italic>ni</italic>, taking into account the highly polysemous nature of <italic>ni</italic>. By polysemous, I mean that one linguistic form is associated with multiple meanings. In fact, <italic>ni</italic> seems to be highly heterosemous (i.e., one form is associated with multiple meanings and grammatical functions) as a lexical item. The proposed domain-based model accommodates the diverse senses of <italic> ni</italic> by integrating them in terms of image schemas and metaphorical extensions. I argue that although <italic>ni</italic> exhibits extensive semantic diversity in its equally extensive syntactic distribution, such variation is far from random or idiosyncratic. Even seemingly contradictory senses exhibit some similarities when examined closely. | ||
520 | _aThe model is then subjected to assessment and evaluation by various empirical and experimental data. Data from a grammaticalization study of <italic>ni </italic> and similar particles in typologically diverse languages indicate how the semantic distribution that <italic>ni</italic> exhibits synchronically may be associated with the grammaticalization pathways that it has undergone through its semantic development. Data from a text count study, a child acquisition study, and a series of off-line psycholinguistic experiments, also support the main characteristics of the proposed model. It is claimed that a network model for this lexeme can best handle its complex syntactic behavior and semantic functions, although the specific configuration of any representational model is very much task- and context-dependent. | ||
590 | _aSchool code: 0351. | ||
650 | 4 | _aLanguage, Linguistics. | |
650 | 4 | _aLanguage, Modern. | |
690 | _a0290 | ||
690 | _a0291 | ||
710 | 2 | _aUniversity of Alberta (Canada). | |
999 |
_c215050 _d215050 |