象似性理论纵览.doc

象似性理论纵览 赵学政1 赵霞2 （1.衡水学院 外语系 河北 衡水 053000 ;2.江苏科技大学外国语学院 江苏 镇江212003） 摘要：语言符号的形式和意义有两种关系：任意和象似的关系。从古至今，在哲学界和语言学界就一直存在任意性(arbitrariness)和象似性(iconicity)观点的争论。本文就任意性和象似性关系的问题发表见解，通过对象似性的概念、象似性的基本原则等方面的探讨,可以看出语言结构确实在很多方面表现出与人的认知结构、概念结构相对应的现象, 尤其是在顺序象似性、距离象似性、数量象似性和语篇视觉象似性等方面, 但同时也不应否认语言任意性的基础地位，两者并不是一对矛盾，而是相辅相成共同对语言符号产生作用的。 关键词: 象似性;任意性;认知语言学 A Survey on Iconicity Theory Zhao xuezheng1 Zhaoxia2 (1.Hengshui College English Department, Hebei 053000;2. Schools of Foreign Languages, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212003) Abstract: There are two kinds of relations between form and meaning of language symbols: arbitrariness and iconicity. From ancient times till now, the argument of arbitrariness and iconicity views has been existed in the philosophical and linguistic fields. Iconicity, as one important aspect of the cognitive linguistics, has attracted a universal attention of the linguists. It has been the focus of the cognitive linguistic study in recent years. Through the investigation of the concept of iconicity, its relationship with the concept of arbitrariness, and its basic principles, it has been shown clearly that there really exists correspondence between linguistic structure and the cognitive structure of human beings, but at the same time it should be admitted that linguistic signs are basically arbitrary. The two relations are not contradictory but co-existed and co-affected in the language symbols. Key words: iconicity; arbitrariness; cognitive linguistics 一、引言 自从《普通语言学教程》（Course in General Linguistics）于 1916 年出版以来，索绪尔提出的语言符号任意性原则几乎对后来的每一个语言学派都产生了一定的影响。最近一二十年来关于语言符号是否完全任意这一问题的争论很激烈，随着认知语言学的发展，表现在各个层面上的象似性原则得到了越来越多的关注。所谓象似性是说语言的能指(signifier)和所指(signified)之间，也即语言的形式和内容之间有一种必然联系，即两者之间的结合是可以论证的，是有理据的(motivated) [1]。本文将集中探讨象似性概念的提出和象似性在语言中的体现, 以及象似性与任意性的关系问题。 二、象似性概念的提出 美国哲学家皮尔斯首先提出了象似性原则。皮尔斯(Peirce,1965)指出,符号按其与指称对象之间的不同关系可分为象似符(icon)、指示符(index)和象征符(symbol) 当符号与对象具有形象象似的特征(如地图、照片等)时,称之为象似符;当符号与对象之间存在因果关系(如箭头与风向、症状与疾病等)时,称之为指示符