國語「真是」與「實在是」的強調功能及詞匯化研究

Abstract

本研究探討中文「真是」及「實在是」的詞匯化歷程。兩者皆融合副詞(「真」及「實在」)以及判斷詞/焦點標記(「是」)，並進一步因應言談需要，發展出新的詞意。文中先確立「真(的)」及「實在」的三類語意:描摹特性，表達情意，及人際互動。描摹特性方面，「真(的)」描述事物真實不假。表達情意方面，「真(的)」強化說話者對所言內容的支持。人際互動方面，「真的」經常出現在兩種構式。第一種是 「說真的」，用於強調說話者對所言內容認真的態度，因為內容可能聽起來不真實，或由於說話者想引起聽話者的注意。第二種是「真的」加上各種語尾助詞，用於達到各式互動功能，如提問，回覆等。另一方面，描摹特性的「實在」描述物體紮實不虛，並可藉由譬喻及轉喻表達可靠，務實等特性。情意表達方面，「實在」與「真(的)」類似，用於強調說話人對所言內容的肯定。人際互動而言，「實在」經常以「說實在的」的形式出現，其語意和英文的frankly類似，暗示以下所言將不符合聽話者的預期或偏好。 「真(的)」及「實在」的三類語意中，情意表達的功能和「真是」及「實在是」的詞匯化最為相關。「真是」及「實在是」皆融合了副詞(「真」，「實在」)以及判斷詞/強調標記(「是」)。這種副詞和判斷詞/強調標記融合的例子，在當代漢語中十分常見。「真是」與「實在是」字面上和「真(的)」和「實在」情意表達的語意類似，皆用於強調說話者對所言內容(通常是某種評價)的肯定。不過，由於說話人認知能力的限制及為避免不禮貌的言語，「真是」及「實在是」所強化的評價經常隱而不言。即便如此，由於兩者經常和表達評價的語句一同出現，即使未直接點明，聽者聽到「真是」與「實在是」仍能透過轉喻機制了解說話人意圖表達評價。而「真是」的評價功能從另一短語「真是的」中，更獲彰顯。 本研究透過探索「真是」及「實在是」的詞匯化歷程，說明語言中的詞語並列，文化上的禮貌原則，以及認知層次的語用推論，如何互動，促成了新詞彙的浮現，進以凸顯句法/詞彙動態的本質。

This study explores the lexicalization of zhenshi and shizaishi. They originate as a fusion of an adverb (zhen(de) and shizai respectively) and the copula/focus marker (shi), and further develop an idiomatic meaning through discourse interaction. Three types of zhen(de) and shizai are first identified: descriptive, expressive, and interactive. Descriptive zhen(de) denotes something as real/true. Expressive zhen(de) intensifies the speaker’s advocacy about a statement. Interactive zhende typically appears in two constructions: shuozhende emphasizes the speaker’s seriousness about a subsequent utterance, signaling that the following speech may sound less believable or worthy of the addressee’s extra attention; zhende followed by a particle demonstrates various interpersonal functions like questioning or responding. On the other hand, descriptive shizai denotes something as strong and full of content, which can metaphorically and metonymically represent the quality of being reliable and realistic. Expressive shizai, similar to expressive zhen(de), also emphasizes the speaker’s support for a statement. Finally, interactive shizai typically appears in the construction shuoshizaide, which, like its English equivalent, frankly, signals an unexpected or non-preferential upcoming utterance. Of all the polysemous meanings of zhen(de) and shizai, the expressive meaning is most pertinent to the lexicalization of zhenshi and shizaishi. They start out as a fusion of an adverb, zhen and shizai respectively, and the copula/focus marker, shi, which is a common morphological trend in Modern Mandarin. The compositional meaning of the fused forms, zhenshi and shizaishi, is similar to the expressive zhen and shizai, i.e. to intensify a statement, typically an evaluation. However, the speech carrying the evaluation is often truncated due to limitation on cognitive processing and avoidance of social impropriety. Still, with the frequent co-occurrence of zhenshi/shizaishi and an evaluative speech, the speaker’s evaluative intent can be readily inferred by the addressee through metonymy. The evaluative meaning of zhenshi is also supported by another evaluative expression zhenshide. In exploring the lexicalization of zhenshi and shizaishi, this study thus illustrates the emergent nature of grammar/lexicon by showing how the interaction among language (syntagmatic co-occurrence), culture (communicative politeness), and cognition (pragmatic inference) contributes to the emergence of novel lexical items.