摘要
标准的类型理论语义学难以处理询问等语言行为。近年来,询问语义学在这方面做出了一些重要的贡献。询问语义学认为句子意义是信息状态的支持条件,它要求信息不仅蕴涵句子表达的信息,而且具有句子提及的问题事项的确定方式。关于逻辑联结词,询问语义学提出以下几个观点:1)句子意义是向下的命题集,语句之间的蕴涵关系可以据此做出合理解释。2)合取语句中,删略的条件可以表述为,后续句涉及的问题事项必须在先行句中已经引入。3)陈述和疑问的析取句都禁止冗余操作并允许穷尽解读。4)否定的合取句只引入一个备择选项,其语义不同于对应的析取句。5)从跨语言的角度来看,极性助词具有两种功能,分别体现为绝对特征([+],[-])和相对特征([一致],[互逆])。关于情态和量化词,询问语义学认为,模态算子表达可能世界和i命题之间的关系,i命题同时包含信息和问题事项,据此可以统一分析论元为陈述的命题态度动词和论元为询问的命题态度动词。量化词是将i属性映射到i命题的算子。询问语义学的视角可以更好地处理汉英差异与共性。
Standard type-theoretic semantics has difficulty dealing with linguistic acts such as inquiries.Inquisitive semantics assumes that sentence meaning is the supporting condition of information state,which requires that information not only entails the information conveyed by the sentence,but also resolves the issue that the sentence raises.Sentence meaning is a set of downward propositions,and the entailment relationship between sentences can be reasonably explained.The condition of deletion in conjunctions can be expressed as:the issues introduced in the subsequent sentence must have already been introduced in the antecedent sentence.Redundant operations are prohibited and exhaustive interpretations are allowed not only in disjunctive statements,but also in disjunctive questions.Negative conjunctions each introduce only one alternative whose semantics is different from the corresponding disjunctive.Polar particles have two functions cross-linguistically:one is marking absolute features([+],[-]),while the other is marking relative features([AGREE],[REVERSE]).Based on the idea that a modal operator expresses the relationship between possible words and i-propositions,and i-propositions contain information or question items,propositional attitude verbs with statements as arguments and those with inquiries as arguments can be analyzed in the same way.Quantifiers are operators that map i-properties to i-propositions.The perspective of inquisitive semantics can deal with the differences and universalities between Chinese and English better.Inquisitive semantics can make more contributions in explaining the empirical evidence in Chinese in the following three aspects.The first is the systematic classification of Chinese interrogative sentences,especially the question of classifying Chinese choice questions and A-not-A questions.Selections of negative words and polarity components in Chinese A-not-A questions and choice questions are similar to selections in English in some aspects yet different in others;and further research should be carried out from this perspective.The second is the semantic interpretation characteristics of Chinese questions,especially those of Chinese topic sentences,focus sentences,and wh-in-situ sentences.Different sentences have different tendencies as to whether there is a paired list interpretation.The third is the characteristics of Chinese polarity system.Chinese interjections shi(是)and bu(不)are typical members of the polar system;other not highly grammaticalized words that can also express agreement or disagreement such as dui(对)are atypical members.Preliminary research shows that Chinese polarity system has two characteristics:first,it is only sensitive to relative polarity features;second,its polarity elements show the continuity of grammaticalization.
作者
彭家法
PENG Jiafa(College of Liberal Arts,Anhui University)
出处
《当代语言学》
CSSCI
北大核心
2022年第4期610-624,共15页
Contemporary Linguistics
基金
安徽省哲学社会科学规划项目“询问句的形式语义和句法机制研究”(AHSKY2020D133)的支持。
关键词
询问语义学
联结词
命题态度动词
量化词
汉英比较
inquisitive semantics
propositional attitude verb
quantifier
Chinese-English comparison
