This dissertation is grounded in the research paradigm of cognitive linguistics. From the perspective of construction, and within the theoretical frameworks of Constructionalization and Constructional Change, as well as Construction Morphology, it int...
This dissertation is grounded in the research paradigm of cognitive linguistics. From the perspective of construction, and within the theoretical frameworks of Constructionalization and Constructional Change, as well as Construction Morphology, it integrates Grammaticalization theory to analyze quasi-affixes in Modern Chinese and their derivational constructions.
This dissertation designates the constructions formed by quasi-affixes as quasi-affixal derivational constructions. The overall meaning of such constructions cannot be obtained through the linear accumulation of the semantics of their internal components, which aligns with the fundamental characteristics of a construction. The specific derivatives formed by quasi-affixes may be regarded as concrete constructions, while from multiple such concrete constructions, higher-level constructions such as “quasi-prefix X” or “X quasi-suffix” can be further abstracted. The main conclusions of this dissertation are as follows.
From the perspective of Constructionalization and Constructional Change, and adopting a diachronic perspective, the formation of quasi-affixal derivational constructions in Modern Chinese can be broadly divided into three developmental paths.
The first is the path of general Constructionalization, namely the development of new constructions out of pre-existing ones in Modern Chinese. In this process, components originally functioning as free morphemes undergo Bleaching and positional fixation within Chinese, gradually evolving into quasi-affixes, which then combine with “X” elements to form new types of constructions. In this way, compound-word constructions are transformed into quasi-affixal derivational constructions, as seen in the formation of the “fan-X (泛X)” construction and the “X-mang (X盲)” construction.
The second is the path of newly emerged Constructionalization, which is closely related to language contact. When external expressions (including foreign languages, dialects, or professional jargon) enter Modern Mandarin, pre-existing lexical morphemes in Mandarin undergo Grammaticalization, evolving into quasi-affixes that combine with “X” elements to form new constructions. This process may be viewed as the absorption and reconfiguration of external concepts into Chinese. The semantics of such quasi-affixes are no longer directly connected with the semantics of their original compound constructions, thus representing a pathway where entirely new constructions arise independently of pre-existing ones, such as in the formation of the “yun-X (云X)” construction and the “X-kong (X控)” construction.
The third path involves semantic Constructional Change, namely an internal evolutionary route in which existing forms are preserved while meanings expand or shift. This does not imply the absence of Constructionalization; rather, in Early Modern Chinese, Constructionalization was achieved through a series of lexemes based on holistic metaphor, while in Modern Chinese, semantic extension has become the central mechanism by which quasi-affixal derivational constructions are stabilized. Representative cases include the establishment of the “ruan-X (软X)” construction and the “X-gou (X狗)” construction.
The diachronic evolution of quasi-affixal derivational constructions in Chinese can thus be explained through these three developmental paths. However, it should be emphasized that Constructionalization and Constructional Change are not mutually exclusive concepts; the development of quasi-affixal constructions is inevitably the result of the combined effect of both.
From the perspective of Construction Morphology, and adopting a synchronic perspective, each abstract type of quasi-affixal derivational construction is a higher-level form-meaning pair abstracted from a set of concrete derivatives, which can be broadly categorized into two formal types: the “quasi-prefix X” construction and the “X quasi-suffix” construction. Specifically, under each abstract form-meaning pair, multiple lower-level constructions may further emerge due to semantic differentiation, forming a hierarchical system with inheritance relations. That is, based on the semantic type of the “X” element, intermediate and lower-level constructions can be derived under the abstract schema, down to the level of individual words.
Such a hierarchical system of constructions can directly represent the form-meaning pair of the higher-level construction and possible paths of semantic differentiation, as well as the more productive directions of word formation, demonstrating the feasibility of describing quasi-affixal derivational words in Modern Chinese from a construction-based perspective.
In terms of the interaction between form and meaning, in the “quasi-prefix X” construction, the semantic features of the quasi-affix tend to show generalization, meaning that multiple semantic variants may arise depending on different base words, and sometimes even different senses. Examples include the “fan-X (泛X)” construction, “yun-X (云X)” construction, and “ruan-X (软X)” construction, where the semantics of the quasi-affix is strongly influenced by the “X” element.
By contrast, in the “X quasi-suffix” construction, the semantic features of the quasi-affix tend to show categorization, meaning that a series of derivatives sharing the same quasi-affix share a common semantic core. Within the inheritance hierarchy, semantic analysis can reveal semantic variants or smaller, more specific semantic units, but typically does not lead to multiple distinct senses. Representative examples include the “X-mang (X盲)” construction, “X-kong (X控)” construction, and “X-gou (X狗)” construction.
In Modern Chinese, word formation is primarily dominated by compounding, with derivation playing a secondary role. However, it is undeniable that the status of derivational word formation is gradually rising, as reflected in the continuous growth in the number of quasi-affixes and their derived words. Therefore, the study of Chinese word formation inevitably involves an investigation of quasi-affixes.
This dissertation is grounded in the realities of the Chinese language and adopts a new theoretical research paradigm to conduct a comprehensive examination of quasi-affixes and their derived words, aiming to provide a novel perspective on the phenomenon of quasi-affixes and to address existing gaps in current research.