1st Edition

Asymmetry and Markedness Theory

598 Pages 48 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This two-volume work examines the widespread phenomenon of linguistic asymmetry, with special attention to Chinese grammar and lexicon, from the perspective of markedness. The book illustrates how asymmetric patterns emerge in phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics, integrating descriptive and explanatory methods to uncover underlying principles. It combines synchronic and... Read more

Volume 1  1. Theoretical Prerequisites and Methodological Issues  2. Markedness Theory  3. Asymmetry between Affirmation and Negation  4. Unmarked Negation and Marked Negation  5. chàbùduō and chàdiǎnr  6. Affirmation and Negation of Polarity Words  7. The Neutralization of the Negative-Affirmative Opposition  Volume 2  1. Markedness Patterns of Antonyms  2. Asymmetry between Subject and Object  3. The Markedness Pattern of Word Classes and Syntactic Constituents  4. The Syntactic Functions of Chinese Adjectives  5. Symmetry and Asymmetry between Form and Meaning

Biography

Shen Jiaxuan is Professor of Linguistics at the Institute of Linguistics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. His main research interests include Chinese grammar, English–Chinese comparative grammar, and general linguistic theory. His recent publications with Routledge include Nouns and Verbs in Chinese I: Facts and Theories and Nouns and Verbs in Chinese II: Consequences and Prospects.