Abstract
The studies focus on the mood adverbs in Mandarin Chinese and take nandao for example to explore the diachronic and synchronic phenomena. On the one hand, we aim to trace the process of grammaticalization of nandao. On the other hand, we discuss the construction, characteristics, and hierarchical structure of the mood adverb nandao. The differences from its ilk are also included in the dissertation. In Modern Mandarin Chinese, the semantic content of nandao refers to rhetorical question. Based on the four-stage scenario of grammaticalization (Heine 2002), we diachronically explore the process of grammaticalization in nandao. According to the historical documents we collect, the grammaticalization of nandao from the source meaning to the target meaning sprouted in the Song Dynasty. It is developed gradually and totally achieved in the Ming and Qing Dynasty. In addition to the grammaticalization of nandao, we make great effort to explore the complexity of mood adverbs both in semantics and syntax. On the one hand, we discuss the semantic vagueness between rhetoric and speculation in sentences with nandao. Sometimes we need the context to disambiguate the meanings. On the other hand, another related mood adverb, daodi, is synchronically discussed in the dissertation. “VP + daodi” can denote the space, process and degree meanings. It can express the content meaning “to the end”. However, “daodi + VP” can only express subjective time and confirmation toward the propositions. Finally, we observe the hierarchical structure of mood adverbs as well as the linear ordering of the mood adverb, the modal verb and the negation. The negation can precede or follow the modal verb according to the scope it dominates. In addition, mood adverbs usually express the judgment toward the propositional content and it usually occurs in the sentence-initial position, so hierarchically, it is on the highest layer of the structure.