Functional Diffusion and Decategorization of Bai: From a Colour Term to an Implicit Negative Adverb

Abstract

AbstractThis paper focuses on the process of decategorization of bai from synchronic and diachronic perspectives by studying the nominal bai, the adjectival bai, and the adverbial bai in Mandarin. The central assertion is that the adverbial bai, with an implicit negative meaning in Mandarin, is the result of the evolutional process of decategorization applied to the nominal bai, i.e., a colour term for white. First, the basic evolution path of bai is traced by studying the semantic evolution of its different parts of speech. Second, it is proved that the evolution path of bai is a process of decategorization resulting from changes in the functions of bai caused by semantic overgeneralization and the lack of independence in a syntactic category.Keywords Bai Semantic evolutionDecategorizationMetonymy