TTLA: Hyperbole in Chinese (related to Vietnamese)

INFORMATION ABOUT DOCTORAL THESIS

1. Full name of the researcher:Nguyen Ngoc Kien          

2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: January 19, 1961

4. Place of birth: Nam Dinh

5. Decision to recognize PhD students: No. 3676/QD dated October 28, 2009 of the Director of Hanoi National University

6. Changes in training process: no

7. Thesis topic name: Hyperbole in Chinese (related to Vietnamese)

8. Major: Language Theory Code: 62.22.01.01

9. Scientific instructor:Prof. Dr. Hoang Trong Phien              

10. Summary of new results of the thesis:

- Definition of hyperbole

Exaggeration (also known as:exaggeration) is to use words or expressions to multiply many times the attributes of an object or phenomenon in order to highlight the nature of the object to be described, making a particularly strong impression. In contrast to lying or bragging about the nature, motives and purposes, exaggeration is not distorting the truth to deceive. It does not make people believe inthing said, but only to guide us to understandwhat says.

- Classification of hyperbole

Based on different criteria, there are many different ways to classify hyperbole; the most common are: 1) Direct hyperbole, Indirect hyperbole 2) Hyperbole magnified, Hyperbole reduced. The thesis advocates the following classification: Based on the meaningExaggeratedandExaggeration of miniature, Exaggeration of time. Based on the form availableDirect ExaggerationandIndirect exaggeration. Based on the scaleLow-level ostentation, High-level ostentationandExaggeration to the extreme.However, the classification is sometimes not absolute; for example, a hyperbolic statement can fall into several different categories.

- Exaggerated expressions in Chinese (related to Vietnamese)

Hyperbole can be performed at all levels of language. These are the word/phrase and sentence levels. At the word level, words belonging to the main word classes that make up Chinese vocabulary such as numerals, quantifiers, verbs, and pronouns can all be used to express hyperbole.

In addition, hyperbole can also be expressed at the sentence level. The thesis introduces the use of qualification complements and the structure 连….也/都…. In addition, conditional complex sentences and hypothetical complex sentences can also be used to express hyperbole. Indirect hyperbole is a type of hyperbole that requires the use of other rhetorical devices; the thesis introduces the main ways of hyperbole that use the rhetorical comparison technique and the personification and artefact techniques.

Exaggerated Time + Meaning"not this but that".+ The basic expression is “X就Y”

- Find out the semantic and pragmatic characteristics of hyperbole in Chinese and Vietnamese: + Hyperbole in writing, + Hyperbole in spoken language

11. Practical application:

The thesis contributes to clarifying the hyperbolic speech in modern Chinese in terms of model, semantics, pragmatics and its relation to Vietnamese. Through the study of hyperbolic speech, we explore the thinking of two language-using communities.

This thesis contributes additional materials for those working in editing, translating, teaching as well as those learning Chinese.

This thesis contributes additional material for cultural researchers to study thinking and language in two Vietnamese and Chinese speaking communities.

Contribute a part of the material for those who teach and learn Chinese. Suggest the next research direction on a rhetorical style for learners in Vietnam and China.

12. Further research directions:

After this work, it is recommended to continue studying exaggeration in the works of great authors: 1) About poetry: Tang poetry, Song poetry 2) About prose: Lu Xun, Mo Yan and Yu Hua.

13. Published works related to the thesis:

1. Nguyen Trung Kien (2007), “A type of emphatic structure in Chinese sentences compared to Vietnamese”,Young Linguistics, pp.232 -237.

2. Nguyen Ngoc Kien (2013), “Exaggeration in Vietnamese”,Proceedings of the International Linguistics Conference, Institute of Linguistics, p.171.

3. Nguyen Ngoc Kien (2013), “Using exaggerated quantifiers in Chinese”,Lexicography & Encyclopedia(9), pp.81-87.

4. Nguyen Ngoc Kien (2013), “Exaggerated speech in English”,Language & Life(9) pp.31-39.

5. Nguyen Ngoc Kien (2013), “Exaggeration in Li Bai’s poetry”,Proceedings of the National Linguistics Conference “Language and Literature”, Hanoi National University of Education,pp. 485-494.

6. Nguyen Ngoc Kien (2013), “Using complements expressing exaggeration in Chinese”,Lexicography & Encyclopedia(6), pp.108-113.                             

INFORMATION ON DOCTORAL THESIS

1. Full name:Nguyen Ngoc Kien                  2. Sex:Male

3. Date of birth:January  19^th 1961              4. Place of birth:Nam Dinh, Vietnam

5. Admission of decision number:3676/QD-SDH, date October 28^th, 2009, issued by the President of Vietnam National University, Hanoi

6. Changes in academic process:none

7. Official thesis title: Hyperbole in Chinese (compaired with hyperbole in Vietnamese)

8. Major: Theory of LinguisticsCode:62.22.01.01

9. Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Hoang Trong Phien

10. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:

Hyperbole is a statement expressing the piling it on purpose. It is frequently used in various fields. It's exaggerated but it better reflects the essence of things. it can enhance and increase effectiveness and make the expressions become sarcastic humor so that interest the reader and rich readers' imagination.

The use of hyperbole is to meet the needs of emotional expression and description of deviation and surpass of things to give prominence to image and to glamorize emotions. It is based on the writer's rich imaginaton and reality to overstate or understate the image of characters quality or extent. In Chinese rhetorical device, overstatement is widely used and has a long historical and dual heritage. Yet for various reasons, current weakness of the research of hyperbole exists in academia, therefore it is of great cult significance to conduct a research related to it. The author, after absorbing the previous research and analyzing large amounts of texts of hyperbole, conducts a comprehensive examination into hyperbole. The preface deals with hyperbole. the objectives and implications of overstatement research, the pectinaton of its current situation in academia, generalization of its flaws as well as the related questions the present paper aims to answer. This thesis explores the clasification and semantic features of hyperbole can be classified according to different perspectives and different standards. pure and fused hyperbole by component standard; light, medium, high and fake hyperbole by the extent of hyperbole. The semantic features of hyperbole include the exageration of things, images and points. The analysis of semantics shows there are two patterns of hyperbole, namely empty hyperbole and hyperbole of entity overstatement, no matter what pattern it is, hyperbole is the prominence of image overstated of the semantic features of the things overstated, between which there exists a gap. The role of overstatement is to give prominence to the essential features by using this reasonable gap. This thesis investigates the actuality and psychological basis of hyperbole. It is pointed out that hyperbole is the speaker"s creatively displaying of the characteristics of objects. Hyperbole is from , above and beyond reality, which resutls in the unity of actuality and artistic reality and leads to the creation of real aesthetics This thesis expounds on the psychological basis of hyperbole which is the rich imagination driven by emotion, because overstated language is accompied by fiecre emotional activities to overcome the ordianry language This results in the difference between sentence meaning and actual happenings, which forces the readers to go through certain coginions to grasp the real meaning expressed.However this cognitive process is based on imagination (surely association included). The thesis also elaborates on the use principle and artistic charm of hyperbole. It is pointed out that the use of hyperbole should be apparent, temperant, novel and consistent with the context. It can create beauty of image, reflection, nobility and comedy.

11. Practical applicability

+ Clarifying hyperbole in Chinese about structure, semantics, pragmatics and studying the thinking of Chinese people.

+ Contributing materials to interpreters and teachers of Chinese

+ Contributing materials to those who study language and thinking in Chinese and Vietnamese speaking communites

+ Helping to study a way of rhetoric for leaners in Vietnam and China.

12. Further research directions:

- Further study hyperbole in in great authors' works: 1) Tang poetry and Song poetry 2) prose: Luxun, Moyan, Yuhua

13. Thesis - related Publications:

1- Nguyen Trung Kien (2007), “A structure used for emphasis in Chinese (compaired with that in Vietnamese”,Young Linguists, pp232 -237.

2- Nguyen Ngoc Kien (2013), “Hyperbole in Vietnamese”,International Linguistics Conference, Institute of linguistics,pp171.

3- Nguyen Ngoc Kien (2013), “Amounts of words are used to express hyperbole in Chinese”,Lexicography & Encyclopedia, pp.108-113.

4- Nguyen Ngoc Kien (2013), “Hyperbole in English”,Language and life(6), pp.31-39.

5- Nguyen Ngoc Kien (2013), “Hyperbole in Libai' poetry”,NationalLinguistics Conference “Language and literature”,pp. 485-494

6- Nguyen Ngoc Kien (2013), “Complement is used to express hyperbole in Chinese”,Lexicography & Encyclopedia(6), pp. 108-113.