A Preliminary Semantic Corpus-Based Study on the Classifier 架 (jià) and Its Implications for Teaching Chinese Classifiers

Abstract

In this pilot study, diachronic semantic analysis is employed to probe the origin and semantic evolution of the classifier 架 (jià). The study has three objectives. Firstly, it intends to probe the emergence and development of the Chinese classifier 架 (jià). Secondly, it seeks to attest to the perspective of the fundamental role of human cognition and perception in the classifier language system, as indicated by Tai and Wang (1990). Finally, it suggests pragmatic classifiers teaching approaches in alignment with cognitive linguistic perceptions. The preliminary analysis of this study signifies that the classifier 架 (jià) is not an arbitrary linguistic device. Instead, its utilization throughout history reflects human categorization based on the perceptual property of the supporting framework of the referents. To enhance the efficiency of teaching Chinese classifiers and provide learners with a more natural and comprehensive acquisition mode, future studies on classifier acquisition are expected to align with the conceptual structure of the classifiers’ domains and the cognitive linguistic approach.

Keywords

• chinese classifier
• etymological origins
• semantic description
• cognitive linguistics