현대중국어 양태와 사역의 비대칭성 연구 ― 표지이론 기반 분석과 인지언어학적 해석 ―

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the asymmetry observed in the modality and causation categories of Modern Chinese within the framework of markedness theory, and to account for its underlying causes from a cognitive linguistic perspective. Both modality and causation have two subcategories: coercion and permission, between which consistent asymmetries appear in both synchronic and diachronic dimensions. Through prototype theory and force dynamics analysis, this study demonstrates that coercion represents a prototypical category, whereas permission constitutes a non-prototypical category that presupposes the removal of external constraints and exhibits cognitive complexity. Furthermore, it argues that the phenomenon of permission becoming coercive results from a demarking mechanism, which is realized through two distinct pathways: the use of negative constructions and semantic strengthening. This study is significant in that it provides an integrated analysis of asymmetry in modality and causation categories and elucidates their cognitive principles through a convergent approach combining markedness theory and cognitive linguistics.