Grammatical metaphor in Chinese

Abstract

This article investigates Grammatical Metaphor (GM) in Chinese by analyzing the use of GM instances in a data set formed by 37 extracts from scientific textbooks. The article first develops a framework for the identification and categorization of GM in Chinese. It then explores the distribution of GM categories and GM syndromes. For this aim, the instances in data are identified and quantified in terms of thirteen basic categories and seven types of syndromes. The article also investigates the impacts of generic structure and language development on the deployment of GM. The relationship between GM deployment and generic structure is explored by comparing the degree of GM in extracts drawn from different genres. The effect of language development on GM deployment is explored by comparing the extent of metaphor in extracts representing different levels of writing. It is found that GM distribution in Chinese is not random but determined jointly by the general tendency of GM construction and the typological properties of Chinese. Moreover, this study shows that the deployment of GM is affected by generic structure and language development.