Cognitive Study of Chinese Symmetrical Construction "dong X xi Y"

Abstract

Since ancient times, China has been pursuing the beauty of symmetry and harmony. As symmetry has gradually become a spiritual pursuit, symmetry is often reflected in everyday expressions, just like the idiom "dong X xi Y" which is used frequently in daily communication. Adopting the methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis, based on Construction Grammar Theory, this study first defined "dong X xi Y" as a symmetrical construction, and proposed a cognitive analysis framework of symmetrical construction "dong X xi Y" to analyze its constructional meaning, the construction coercion phenomenon contained in it, and its cognitive motivation. Results show that (1) the constructional meaning of symmetrical construction "dong X xi Y" includes polar construction meaning and critical construction meaning; (2) the "dong X xi Y" construction suppresses the parts of speech and semantics of X and Y; (3) subjectivity is the cognitive motivation of symmetrical construction "dong X xi Y". The study of the symmetrical construction "dong X xi Y" is of great importance for the deeper understanding of the internal structure of the construction and its internal complexity, and in the future it is hoped to provide a cognitive reference for similar constructions.