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7. Distance Iconicity

7. Distance Iconicity. 7.0 Introduction. Major topics to be covered in this section (1) Multiple-modifier constructions and their conceptual relevance 張三的妹妹 / 漂亮的妹妹 張三的漂亮的妹妹 * 漂亮的張三的妹妹 白色木頭桌子 / *木頭白色桌子 (2) The language universal with regard to the relative word orders of “D, Q, A, N”.

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7. Distance Iconicity

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  1. 7. Distance Iconicity

  2. 7.0 Introduction • Major topics to be covered in this section • (1) Multiple-modifier constructions and their conceptual relevance • 張三的妹妹 / 漂亮的妹妹 • 張三的漂亮的妹妹 • *漂亮的張三的妹妹 • 白色木頭桌子 / *木頭白色桌子 • (2) The language universal with regard to the relative word orders of “D, Q, A, N”

  3. 7.1. Linguistic Distance and Conceptual Distance • The linguistic distance • The linguistic distance between two expressions would be equivalent to the time interval between them. • Diminishing linguistic distance between X and Y • a. X A B Y • b. X A Y • c. X Y • 張三的漂亮的妹妹 (X A Y) • *漂亮的張三的妹妹 (A X Y)

  4. 7.1. Linguistic Distance and Conceptual Distance • (1) 我的眼鏡 (A: 我; B: 眼鏡) • (2) 我妹妹 (A: 我; B: 妹妹) • (3) mysister (A: my; B: sister) • (4) eldersister (A: elder; B: sister) • (5) mysister (A: my; B: sister) • (6) [the] student’s sister (A: student; B: sister) • The conceptual distance • Two ideas are conceptually close to the extent that they • a. share semantic features, properties or parts; • b. affect each other; • c. are factually inseparable; • d. are perceived as a unit, whether factually inseparable or not. • e. have a permanent, or a stable relationship

  5. 7.1. Linguistic Distance and Conceptual Distance • (7) mybook (A: my; B: books; A~B: Possession) • (8) [an] Englishbook (A: English; B: books; A~B: Attribution) • The conceptual distance between the possessor and the possessed is greater than that between the attribute and the concept. In other words, attribution is a conceptually closer relation than possession. • [1] Possession [2] Attribution LD CD • mybookreferencebook = > • yourhandssmallhands = > • John’s carsportscar > > • John’s friendsgoodfriends > > • [a] friend of John’s oldfriend > >

  6. 7.1. Linguistic Distance and Conceptual Distance • yesterday’s news bad news > > • cover of the book book cover > > • The meaning of possession • [1] Possession [2] Attribution LD CD • John’s carsportscar > > • John’s friendsgoodfriends > > • [a] friend of John’s oldfriend > > • The typical form to express “possession” in English is “A’s B” or “B of A” • The tendency • The linguistic distance between the elements in [1] and [2] normally corresponds to the conceptual distance between them.

  7. 7.1. Linguistic Distance and Conceptual Distance • [1] Possession [2] Attribution • 中國的朋友 (China's friends) 中國朋友 (Chinese friends) • 孩子的脾氣 (child's disposition) 孩子脾氣 (childishness) • 狐狸的尾巴 (fox's tail) 狐狸尾巴 (cloven hoof) • 咖啡的味兒 (smell of coffee) 咖啡味兒 (coffee-like smell) • [1] Possession [2] Attribution LD CD • 我的 書工具書 > > • 你的 手小手 > > • 張三的車跑車 > > • 張三的朋友好朋友 > > • 昨天的新聞壞消息 > > • The linguistic and conceptual distance between the modifier and the head noun with an intermediate 的 is greater than without the intermediate 的.

  8. 7.1. Linguistic Distance and Conceptual Distance • If a language has two near-synonymous (近義) constructions which differ structurally in linguistic distance, they will differ semantically in (among other things) conceptual distance in a parallel fashion. • 張三的漂亮的妹妹, *漂亮的張三的妹妹 • The ordering of constituents of a noun phrase tends to correspond to conceptual structure. • John’s beautiful sister. (張三的漂亮的妹妹) • my best friend / the best friend of mine (我的最好的朋友) • *beautiful John’s sister (*漂亮的張三的妹妹) • *the best my friend (*最好的我的朋友)

  9. 7.1. Linguistic Distance and Conceptual Distance • Two Semantic Types of Nominal Modifiers • 1. Characterization • explicating the properties of a concept (what kind of…) • 2. Specification • identifying reference (which one …) • [1] Specification [2] Characterization LD CD • 我的 書工具書 > > • 那個人好人 = > • 三個人香港人 = > • (Determiner + Classifier) / (Numeral + Classifier) • CDA~B [Specification] > CDA~B [Characterization]

  10. 7.1. Linguistic Distance and Conceptual Distance • Within the category of specification … … • Possession [1] Possession [2] LD CD • 我的手表我的爸爸 = > • 我的手表) (*我手表) 我爸爸 > > • Alienable Inalienable = > > • Within the category of characterization … … • Adjective + Head Noun + Head LD CD • 好人香港人 = > • 壞書英文書 = > • 大房子木頭房子 = > • 小茶壺瓷茶壺 = > • 用功的學生生物系的學生 = > • *用功學生生物系學生 > > • CDA~B [A: adjective] > CDA~B [A: noun]

  11. 7.1. Linguistic Distance and Conceptual Distance • Within the adjective category … … • Adj [Dimension] Adj [Color] LD CD • 大房子白房子 = > • 小皮鞋黑皮鞋 = > • CDA~B [A: dimension adj.] > CDA~B [A: color adj.] • Adj [Age] Adj [Dimension] LD CD • 新房子大房子 = > • 新書包大書包 = > • CDA~B [A: age adj.] > CDA~B [A: dimension adj.]

  12. 7.1. Linguistic Distance and Conceptual Distance • Adj [Value] Adj [Age] LD CD • 壞書新書 = > • 美麗的姑娘年輕的姑娘 = > • 貴重的衣服舊衣服 > > • 有趣的故事老故事 > > • CDA~B [A: value adj.] > CDA~B [A: age adj.] • Adj [Complex] Adj [Simple] LD CD • 大大的眼睛大眼睛 > > • 乾乾淨淨的衣服乾淨衣服 > > • 髒兮兮的衣服髒衣服 > > • CDA~B [A: complex adj.] > CDA~B [A: simple adj.]

  13. 7.1. Linguistic Distance and Conceptual Distance • Conceptual Distance Hierarchy • CD [A的B] > CD[AB] • Specification > Characterization Complex adjectives > Simple adjectives Value > Age > Dimension > Color > nouns

  14. 7.2. Relative Order of Pre-nominal Modifiers • two examples of multiple-modifier constructions • 我的 十個漂亮的 紅木 球 • 所有這十位漂亮的 年輕美國孩子 的 二十個小小的 舊瓷娃娃(see “huma300k-01.ppt”, Slide 12) • a semantic-syntactic classification of modifiers • A. Specification: • A1. Possessor (Noun, Pronoun): 張三的、我的 • A2. Det (Numeral) Classifier: 那個、這本、一個、三條 • B. Characterization: • B1. Complex adjectives (less stable properties): 髒兮兮的、雪白的、紅紅的 … … • B2. Simple adjectives (more stable properties): 髒、白、紅、好、乾淨 … …

  15. 7.2. Relative Order of Pre-nominal Modifiers • B21. Value: 好、壞、漂亮、乾淨 • B22. Age: 新、舊、老 • B23. Dimension: 大、小、長、短、厚、薄 • B24. Color: 紅、白 • B3. Noun (Material, Source, Function etc): 木頭、中國、數學、英文 • The rules for multiple modifier constructions in Chinese • 新的 大 房子 *大新的 房子 • *新大 房子 大新 房子 (exceptional case) • (a) big new house • 瓷的 小 茶壺 *小瓷的 茶壺 • *瓷小 茶壺 小瓷 茶壺 • (a) small porcelain teapot

  16. 7.2. Relative Order of Pre-nominal Modifiers • 乾淨的 羊皮 大衣 *羊皮乾淨 的 大衣 • (a) clean sheepskin overcoat • Rule 1: Modifiers with 的 generally precede those without 的. • 他最大的 孩子 *最大的 他 孩子 • 他的 最大的 孩子 *最大的 他的 孩子 • his eldest child • 張三漂亮的 妹妹 *漂亮的 張三 妹妹 • 張三的 漂亮的 妹妹 *漂亮的 張三的 妹妹 • John’s pretty sister / (the) pretty sister of John • Rule 2: Possessive modifiers, with or without 的, are always placed before all other modifiers.

  17. 7.2. Relative Order of Pre-nominal Modifiers • 我那本新英文 書 • that new grammar book of mine • 我們學校那位老數學 教師 • that old math teacher of our school • 張三那一件漂亮絲綢 襯衫 • that piece of beautiful silk shirt of John • Rule 3: The basic order of modifiers without 的 is as follows: POSS + DET/NUM-CL + Adj + N A1 + A2 + B2 + B3 • 乾乾淨淨的 新 書桌 • (a) clean new desk

  18. 7.2. Relative Order of Pre-nominal Modifiers • 髒兮兮的 小 手 • dirty small hands • 有趣的 厚故事 書 • (an) interesting thick story book • 嶄新的 木頭 家具 • brand-new wooden furniture • 白色長袖尼龍 襯衫 • (a) white long-sleeved nylon shirt • 新小白木 床 • (a) small new white wooden bed • Rule 4: If there are more than one adjectival and/or nominal modifiers, the normal order is B1 + B2 [B21+B22+B23+B24] + B3

  19. 7.2. Relative Order of Pre-nominal Modifiers A1 A2 B1 B21 B22 B23 B24 N

  20. 7.3. The Less Informative First Principle • The Less Informative First Principle: • In a complex noun phrase with multiple pre-nominal modifiers, those carrying smaller amount of information should occur first. • “Information is a measure of one’s freedom of choice when one selects a message.” • The amount of information is determined by the number of possible messages. • “The actual message is one selected from a set of possible messages.” (C. Shannon) • REA_ • EXI_

  21. 7.3. The Less Informative First Principle • Size > Color > Material

  22. 7.3. The Less Informative First Principle • Within the category of “size” -- • (1) 大高樓 ～ *高大樓 • (2) 小矮個兒 ～ *矮小個兒 • (3) 大粗繩 ～ *粗大繩 • (4) 小瘦猴兒 ～ *瘦小猴兒 • (5) 大寬馬路 ～ *寬大馬路 • (6) 小窄胡同 ～ *窄小胡同 • (7) 大壯小夥子 ～ *壯大小夥子 • (8) 小細胳膊腿 ～ *細小胳膊腿

  23. 7.3. The Less Informative First Principle • The LIFP only applies to modifiers within the “Characterization” type • The amount of information is measured by the number of contrasting items • Polar opposition: 大、小 • Dimension opposition: 高、矮、胖、瘦、寬、窄、粗、細、深、淺、長、短…… • (9) *長寬馬路 ～ *寬長馬路 • (10) *長的寬的馬路 ～ *寬的長的馬路 • (11) *長的寬馬路 ～ *寬的長馬路 • (12) 又長又寬的馬路 ～ 又寬又長的馬路

  24. 7.3. The Less Informative First Principle

  25. 7.3. The Less Informative First Principle • When there is no significant difference between A and B in the number of contrasting items, the order may be legitimately reversed. • (13) 單人圓頂蚊帳 ～ 圓頂單人蚊帳 • (14) 快速燃氣熱水器 ～ 燃氣快速熱水器 • (15) 大型彩色紀錄片 ～彩色大型紀錄片 • The word order of modifiers with 的 is relatively more flexible than the order of those without 的. • (16) 長方形的紅木的桌子～紅木的長方形的桌子 • (17) 新做的翠綠色的旗袍～翠綠色的新做的旗袍 • (18) 很年輕的研究甲骨文的學者～研究甲骨文的很年輕的學者 • (19) 穿著破衣服的十分可憐的孩子～十分可憐的穿著破衣服的孩子 • (20) 會講話的能使用工具的動物～能使用工具的會講話的動物

  26. 7.3. The Less Informative First Principle • Nevertheless --- • (21) 少有的最好的情形～*最好的少有的情形 • 少有-常見；最好-較好-很好-極好 • (22) 說不出的痛苦的味道～*痛苦的說不出的味道 • 說不出-說得出；痛苦-幸福-不幸-焦慮-浮躁-興奮… • (23) 去年剛來的學語言學的研究生～*學語言學的去年剛來的研究生 • 去年剛來-今年剛來；學語言學-哲學-化學-生物學… • (24) 老舍寫的敍述一個洋車夫的一生的小說～*敍述一個洋車夫的一生的老舍寫的小說 • 老舍寫的-金庸寫的-魯迅寫的…. • 敘述一個洋車夫-農民-工人-國王-公主-俠客 …

  27. 7.3. The Less Informative First Principle • Why LIFP? • Language as a cognitive process (Terry Winograd) • Speaking and listening as encoding and decoding • Messages carrying less information are easier to process. • LIFP: translatable into “Easier First!” • A common cognitive strategy • Head – problem space; search along certain paths • Depth-first vs. Breadth-first (See “Misc 1”)

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