Research Article
Adjective Reduplication in the Yongdeng Dialect of Lanzhou
Abstract
As one of the word-formation methods in modern Chinese, reduplication is an important grammatical device. The Yongdeng dialect, belonging to the Lanzhou cluster of the Lanyin Mandarin, is rich in adjective reduplication phenomena. This paper examines the adjective reduplication patterns in the Yongdeng dialect from three aspects: structural forms, grammatical meanings, and pragmatic functions. Based on the criterion of complete reduplication, the paper mainly discusses six patterns, namely "AA, AABB, ABAB, ABB, AACD, and ABCC". It analyzes their grammatical meanings of indicating degree and state, and reveals the vividness and figurativeness of adjective reduplication in the pragmatic use of the Yongdeng dialect.
Keywords: Yongdeng dialect; adjective reduplication; grammatical meaning; pragmatic function
References
- Bai, D. (2000). A brief discussion on what kinds of verbs can be reduplicated. Language and Translation, (02), 14–16.
- Huang, B. R., & Liao, X. D. (2017). Modern Chinese (Reprinted December 2019). Beijing: Higher Education Press.
- Zhang, W. X., & Mo, C. (2009). Dictionary of Lanzhou Dialect. Beijing: China Social Sciences Press.
- Lü, S. X. (1980). Eight Hundred Words in Modern Chinese (p. 716). Beijing: The Commercial Press.
- Li, Y. M. (1996). On the meaning of word reduplication. World Chinese Teaching, (01), 11–12.
- Zhu, D. X. (1956). A study of adjectives in modern Chinese. Language Research, (01), 1–37.
- Liu, D. Q. (1986). A study of reduplication in Suzhou dialect. Language Research, (01), 7–28.