TTLA: Exaggerated speech in Chinese (with connections to Vietnamese)

INFORMATION ABOUT THE DOCTORAL THESIS

1. Full name of the doctoral candidate:Nguyen Ngoc Kien          

2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: January 19, 1961

4. Place of birth: Nam Dinh

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

6. Changes in the training process: none

7. Thesis title: Exaggerated speech in Chinese (related to Vietnamese)

8. Major: Linguistics Theory Code: 62.22.01.01

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

10. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:

- Definition of hyperbole

Exaggeration (also known as:exaggeration, hyperbole, overstatement, overstatementExaggeration is the use of words or expressions to multiply the attributes of an object or phenomenon many times over in order to highlight the essence of the object being described, creating a particularly strong impression. Unlike lying or exaggerating about the nature, motive, and purpose, exaggeration is not a distortion of the truth to deceive. It does not make people believe it.what was said, which is only meant to guide us to understand.what it says.

- Classification of hyperbole

Based on various criteria, there are many different ways to classify exaggeration; the most common are: 1) Direct exaggeration, Indirect exaggeration 2) Exaggeration in magnification, Exaggeration in reduction. This thesis advocates the following classification: Based on meaning...Exaggeration/MagnificationandMiniature exaggeration, Time exaggerationBased on the form there isDirect exaggerationandIndirect exaggerationBased on the scale, there isLow level of exaggeration, High level of exaggerationandExaggeration at an extreme level.However, classifications are sometimes not entirely absolute; for example, a boastful statement can fall into several different categories.

- Exaggerated expressions in Chinese (with connections to Vietnamese)

Exaggeration can be used at all levels of language: words/phrases and sentences. At the word level, words belonging to the main word classes that make up the vocabulary of the Chinese language, such as numerals, quantifiers, verbs, and pronouns, can all be used to express exaggeration.

Furthermore, exaggeration can also be expressed at the sentence level. This thesis introduces the use of degree complements and the structure 连….也/都…. Additionally, conditional and hypothetical complex sentences can be used to express exaggeration. Indirect exaggeration is a type of exaggeration that requires the use of other rhetorical devices; this thesis introduces the main exaggerations using rhetorical comparisons and personification/objectification techniques.

Exaggeration of time + Meaning"If it's not one thing, it's another."The basic expression is “还没X就Y”

- Identify the semantic and pragmatic characteristics of hyperbole in Chinese and Vietnamese: + Hyperbole in written language, + Hyperbole in spoken language

11. Practical applications:

This dissertation contributes to clarifying the use of hyperbole in modern Chinese in terms of its patterns, semantics, pragmatics, and its relevance to Vietnamese. Through the study of hyperbole, it explores the thinking of the two language-using communities.

This thesis contributes additional resources for those working in translation, interpretation, teaching, and learning the Chinese language.

This thesis contributes additional material for researchers studying culture and understanding the thinking and language of both Vietnamese-speaking and Chinese-speaking communities.

This contributes to the documentation for those involved in teaching and learning Chinese. It also suggests directions for further research on a rhetorical device for learners in Vietnam and China.

12. Future research directions:

Following this work, further research is suggested on exaggeration in the works of major authors: 1) In poetry: Tang Dynasty poetry, Song Dynasty poetry; 2) In prose: Lu Xun, Mo Yan, and Yu Hua.

13. Published works related to the dissertation:

1. Nguyen Trung Kien (2007), “A type of emphasis structure in Chinese sentences compared to Vietnamese”,Young Linguists, 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 quantifiers to express exaggeration in Chinese”,Lexicography & Encyclopedia(9), pp. 81-87.

4. Nguyen Ngoc Kien (2013), “Hyperbole 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 University of Education,pp. 485-494.

6. Nguyen Ngoc Kien (2013), “Using hyperbole-expressing complements 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:Northern  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 real 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. It can be divided into overpitching, underpitching and advancing overstatement by the standard of meaning; pure and fused hyperbole by component standard of light, medium, high and fake hyperbole 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 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 differences between sentence meaning and actual happenings, which forces the readers to go through certain coginion to grasp the real meaning expressed.However this perception process is based on imagination (surely association included). The thesis also elabrates on the use principle and artistic charm of hyperbole. It is pointed out that the use of hyperbole should be obvious, temperant, novel and consistent with the context. As an inseperable part of language communication, hyperbole has special artistic charm of its own. 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”,NewsLinguistics 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.