课题研究理论基础
现代汉语虚词概说
定义和分类
汉语虚词的定义
Function words are a prominent feature of the Chinese language and serve as an important tool in Chinese grammar The study of function words in Chinese has a long history, gaining formal recognition and classification with the publication of "Ma's Grammar" at the end of the 19th century Since then, nearly a century has passed, and particularly in recent years, research on Chinese function words has entered a new phase, leading to the emergence of numerous distinctive works, dictionaries, and academic papers on the subject Additionally, the theoretical exploration and teaching of function words have received significant attention from the linguistic community.
In the introduction of "Ma's Literary Communication," Ma Jianzhong provides a clear definition of function words, emphasizing their importance in language.
The assertion that "substantive words have meaning, while functional words do not" highlights a longstanding lack of consensus on the concepts of 'real' and 'virtual' in linguistic discourse Scholars have differing interpretations of 'meaningful' and 'meaningless,' indicating a diverse understanding of the role of functional words Overall, previous viewpoints can be categorized into two main perspectives: one based on meaning and the other on function.
Some grammarians have shared their insights regarding Ma Shiwen's viewpoint Mr Lü Shuxiang argues that function words are not "meaningless"; instead, they possess significance that is "ethereal" or "void." He explains that the meanings of content words, particularly standard nouns, verbs, and adjectives, evoke concrete images in our minds For instance, when he mentions "cat," he can visualize a cat, and when he says "jump," he can imagine a child or a grasshopper.
3 马建忠《马氏文通》第一卷第 8 页，中华书局出版社 1954 年
In language, words can be categorized into two main types based on their meanings: content words and function words Content words, such as nouns and verbs, convey concrete meanings and refer to tangible objects, quantities, and actions, evoking vivid imagery, like the color red reminiscent of peach blossoms or national flags In contrast, function words, including terms like "extreme," "have," and "how," possess more abstract meanings and often lack significance when considered in isolation However, they play a crucial grammatical role within sentences, contributing to the overall structure and coherence of language.
The representative argument of the "meaning school" contrasts with the perspective of the "function school," notably presented by Chen Chengze He disagrees with Ma Jianzhong's definition of function words, asserting that words with objective substance, form, and function can serve as the subject or explanatory phrase in a sentence, while those without such characteristics cannot This distinction highlights that the difference between content words and function words lies in their ability to act as subjects or explanatory phrases, emphasizing that the classification of words should be based on their functions within sentences.
In addition, some Chinese grammar works categorize words based on their functions According to Hu Yushu in "Modern Chinese," words that can independently serve as sentence components are referred to as substantive words, while those that cannot are classified as function words.
4 吕叔湘《汉语语法分析问题》商务出版社 1979 年
5 王力《中国语法刚要》，北京出版社 1949 年
6 陈承泽《国文法草创》，商务印书馆 1922 年
7 胡裕树《现代汉语》，上海教育出版社 年
Some contemporary scholars define function words by highlighting a crucial distinction between them and content words: content words are open-class, meaning they cannot be exhaustively listed in grammatical texts, whereas function words are closed-class, allowing for complete enumeration within grammatical literature.
Function words, or "虚词," can be understood as elements that do not form phrases or sentences independently, unlike content words, or "实词," which can stand alone and serve as sentence components They exhibit fixed collocations within sentences, lacking the flexibility found in content words Semantically, function words do not possess clear lexical meanings; instead, they convey specific grammatical functions Additionally, the number of function words is strictly limited, in contrast to the more open nature of content words.
Modern Chinese function words are those that cannot stand alone as sentences and possess relatively abstract meanings Their collocational relationships within sentences are quite fixed, making them a closed class of words that play a crucial role in sentence construction.
汉语虚词的划分标准
The classification of Chinese function words has long been a focal point of discussion within the field of Chinese grammar For over half a century since the publication of "Ma's Grammar," the meaning of words has remained the primary criterion for categorizing parts of speech This approach has been consistently reflected in works such as Li Jinxie's "New Grammar of the National Language," Yang Shuda's "Advanced National Grammar," and Wang Li's "Modern Chinese Grammar," continuing through to the contributions of Lü Shuxiang and Zhu Dexi.
The classification of words in the context of grammar and rhetoric is fundamentally based on their meanings, distinguishing between substantive and function words Scholars and experts reflect a traditional understanding in Chinese linguistics that function words lack specific lexical meaning The term "function words" itself has evolved from etymology Therefore, when categorizing Chinese words into substantive and function categories, one crucial criterion remains the meaning of the words.
It is undeniable that categorizing words based on their meanings can be both intuitive and effective, especially for learners of Chinese as a second language Initially, understanding meanings can aid in distinguishing between function words and content words in Chinese grammar However, it is important to note that words with similar meanings may not share the same grammatical functions, as seen with adjectives.
The adjective "红" (red) can be modified by the degree adverb "很" (very), while the noun form "红色" (red color) cannot Each language contains words that lack typical semantic features, making it challenging to grasp their meanings solely based on semantics Furthermore, the criteria for meaning itself lack strict scientific rigor and empirical validation Increasingly, scholars recognize the classification of function words as a grammatical category, emphasizing their grammatical significance and role Consequently, using meaning as a standard for categorizing words proves to be inadequate for grammatical classification of vocabulary.
Since the 20th century, the rise of structuralist grammar has led to a growing acceptance of classifying words based on their syntactic functions Influential works such as Zhao Yuanren's "Grammar of Spoken Chinese" and Zhu Deqi's "Grammar Lectures" have adopted this functional classification standard This approach categorizes words according to their grammatical characteristics, including their ability to serve as sentence constituents and their combinatory potential with other words.