Semantic Domain and Dimensionality of the Modern Chinese Particle ‘V(着)’ : Focusing on the Difference between ‘V着[‧zhe]’ and ‘V着[zháo]’

Abstract

This study examines the concept of domain in terms of semantic interpretation as the cause of the different meaning domains of the identical format "V着[·zhe]" and "V着[zháo]" in Modern Chinese. In modern Chinese, "V着" takes on the meaning domain of the situation within its internal structure, with the temporal dimension as the basic domain. Firstly, the imperfective marker "V着[zhe]" indicating the durative aspect is divided into three meanings: 1) the duration of an action, 2) the duration of a state, and 3) the duration of an object. In general, in language, the concept of time reference is used to determine the location and progression of an action when observing a situation, thus confirming "V着[zhe]" as representing the duration of an action or state. Secondly, the perfective marker "V着[zháo]" indicating the result meaning is identified as having four meaning domains: 1) achievement of an objective, 2) occurrence of a result, 3) combustion, and 4) completion, with the characteristic of the temporal dimension revealing the starting and ending points of the action. Based on the analysis, the meaning domains of "V着[zhe]" and "V着[zháo]" are diagrammed on the basic dimension of the temporal dimension. "V着[zháo]", which can be adjusted to the given dimension based on the concept of the "locative domain" and "configurational domain" in Ray Jackendoff"s domain theory, is analyzed as belonging to the locative domain, while "V着[zhe]" which cannot be adjusted is analyzed as belonging to the configurational domain. Therefore, the locative domain has an cognitive order of "action progress → event endpoint existence → locative domain", while "V着[zhe]" follows the cognitive order of "progress or realization of the action itself → state duration → space → configurational domain.