A Cognitive Analysis of the Meaning Extension of the ‘da(打)+NP’ Construction in Modern Chinese

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the polysemy of the modern Chinese construction ‘da(打)+NP’ through the conceptual metaphor and conceptual metonymy theory of cognitive semantics. The research results confirm that the prototype meaning of the ‘da (打)+NP’ construction expands to a non-prototype meaning through the cognitive mechanisms of metaphor and metonymy. The results of the study are as follows.BR Firstly, the cognitive metaphorical process played a role in expanding the prototype meaning of the ‘da(打)+NP’ construction to a non-prototype meaning. Concrete elements of the source domain, which are simple and concrete, were mapped onto abstract elements of the target domain based on similarity, leading to the expansion of metaphorical meaning. Secondly, the cognitive metonymic process also played a role in expanding the prototype meaning of the ‘da(打)+NP’ construction to a non-prototype meaning. The types of metonymy include part for whole, whole for part, and part for part, and the prominent vehicle was contacted with the target based on contiguity.BR This paper explores the polysemy of the ‘da(打)+NP’ construction, which has the same form but is activated with different meanings in context, and clarifies that cognitive mechanisms such as metaphor and metonymy influence the expansion of meaning. This analysis is hoped to provide a theoretical basis for future studies on the polysemy of the verb ‘da(打)’ and will be of some help in research on Chinese language with strong polysemy characteristics.