Author(s)

Mengmeng Zhang ¹, Qian Zhang ¹, Mengqiao Xu ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Lijiang Culture and Tourism College, Lijiang, Yunnan, China

Corresponding Author

Mengqiao Xu

ABSTRACT

From a diachronic perspective, "wufang" in Chinese mainly has four usages: verb phrase, adverb, verb, and discourse marker. There is a sequential evolutionary relationship among these four usages. The development of "wufang" — from lexicalization to degrammaticalization and then to grammaticalization — indicates that language evolution features diverse paths. The main motivations and mechanisms behind the evolution of "wufang" include prosodic mechanism, syntactic position, semantic generalization, subjectification, and categorization.

KEYWORDS

"Wufang"; lexicalization; degrammaticalization; grammaticalization; motivation

CITE THIS PAPER

Mengmeng Zhang, Qian Zhang, Mengqiao Xu, Multiple Paths and Motivations of Language Evolution ——Taking the Lexicalization, Degrammaticalization and Grammaticalization of "Wufang" as an Example. Lecture Notes on Language and Literature (2026) Vol. 9: 9-18. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/langl.2026.090102.

REFERENCES

[1] Dictionary Editing Room of the Institute of Linguistics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Modern Chinese Dictionary (7th Edition)[M]. Beijing: Commercial Press, 2012: 1381.
[2] Li Xingjian (Ed.). Modern Chinese Standard Dictionary (3rd Edition)[M]. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2014: 1384.
[3] Yao Xiaopeng, Yao Shuangyun. The Evolutionary Course and Functional Expansion of "Bufang" [J]. Chinese Teaching in the World, 2009, 23(4): 487-489.
[4] Peng Xiaochuan. New Thoughts on the Reclassification of Modern Chinese Verbs — Starting from the Part of Speech of "Bufang" [J]. Chinese Teaching in the World, 2013, 27(4): 490.
[5] Li Sixu. On the Formation of Discourse Markers from the Perspective of Lexicalization and Grammaticalization — Also on the Origin of Discourse Markers[J]. Chinese Teaching in the World, 2012, 26(3): 335.
[6] Wu Weishan. Reanalysis of Disyllabization, Grammaticalization and Prosodic Words[J]. Chinese Language Learning, 2003(2): 8.
[7] Yu Jiang. On the Grammaticalization of Content Words[J]. Journal of Shanghai University (Social Sciences Edition), 1994(1): 105.
[8] Song Hongmin. An Analysis of the Special Syntactic Position of the Adverb "Zui" in Records of the Grand Historian[J]. Research in Ancient Chinese Language, 2002(2): 45.
[9] Shen Jiaxuan. A Survey of "Grammaticalization" Studies[J]. Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 1994(4): 17.
[10] Zhu Zhiyong, Han Dongshi, Li Jinhao. An Analysis of the Semantic Generalization of the Internet Buzzword "Tangping" from the Perspective of Cognitive Metaphor [J]. Journal of Hubei University of Science and Technology, 2022, 42(5): 75.
[11] Zhang Yisheng. The Syntactic Manifestations of Grammaticalization Phenomena at Different Levels[J]. Linguistic Research, 2010(4): 14.
[12] Shen Jiaxuan. The "Subjectivity" and "Subjectification" of Language[J]. Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 2001(4): 268.

Sponsors, Associates, and Links

---

• Journal of Language Testing & Assessment
  
  
• Information and Knowledge Management
  
  
• Military and Armament Science
  
  
• Media and Communication Research
  
  
• Journal of Human Movement Science
  
  
• Art and Performance Letters
  
  
• Lecture Notes on History
  
  
• Philosophy Journal
  
  
• Science of Law Journal
  
  
• Journal of Political Science Research
  
  
• Journal of Sociology and Ethnology
  
  
• Advances in Broadcasting