JoLIE 7/2014

Back to issue page

L’EXPRESSION DE LA RELATION PARTIE - TOUT EN VIETNAMIEN :

SES STRUCTURES SÉMANTICO-LEXICALES

Minh Ha Lo-Cicero

University of Madeira, Portugal

Abstract

The aim of my study is to provide a semantic-syntactic-lexical approach of part/whole relations in Vietnamese; these relations create structures in which the lexical and semantic parameters play an essential role. In order to accomplish the operation of “individuation”, the Vietnamese language uses nouns susceptible to express the quantitative element of each unit. (Phu Phong Nguyen 1995).

As Phu Phong stated (1995:39), “la relation de la partie au tout est ainsi pleinement exploitée dans l’opération d’individuation”. All the nouns are nearly always accompanied by classifiers:

(1)       con người: man, cái bàn: table

The use of cái (inanimates) or con (animates) is chosen according to the particular group of nouns, in general. In reality, the choice is even more complex than it seems as there exist other categories of classifiers which are used according to the form of objects:

(2)       Viên thuôc = viên (cl. small roundish object) + thuôc (medicine): tablet

             Hòn bi: hòn (cl. roundish object) bi: billiard ball 

or to subclasses of classified nouns (categoricals):

(3)       bụi tre = bui (tuft) + tre (bambou): a tuft of bambou

             bộ áo quân = bô (set) + áo (skirt) + quân (trousers): a suit

            bộ ba = bô (set) + ba ( 3): the triumvirat

The expression of the part/whole relations in Vietnamese modifies the head of nominal phrase like in French. However, the order of different categories of classifiers is complex:

(4)     Bộ ba = a triumvirat, Ba bộ = three sets

I observe, with the system of classifiers, it is not always easy to establish their position, a fix/stable one, and even worse, to specify their grammatical category caused by the polysemy of Vietnamese according to the words order (4).

All the above mentioned, elements will allow me precisely to study the expression part/whole relation in Vietnamese.

Key words: Semantics vs lexis; Morpho-syntax; Contrastive analysis; Vietnamese-French; Part-whole relation.

References

Kleiber, G. (2001). L’anaphore associative. France: PUF.

Kleiber, G. (1999). Problèmes de sémantique. La Polysémie en questions, Sens et Structures. Septentrion, Paris: Presses Universitaires.

Lê Kh. K., & Nguyen, L. (1994). Tu Diên Viêt-Phap, Dictionnaire Vietnamien-Français, Hanoi: Nha Xuât Ban Khoa Hoc Xa Hôi.

Nguyen Kim, Th. (1997). Nghiên Cúu Ngu Pháp Tiêng Viêt (Études de la Grammaire vietnamienne), Vietnam: Nhà Xuât Ban Giáo Duc.

Nguyen, Ph.-Ph. (1995). Questions de linguistiques vietnamiennes, Les classificateurs et les déictiques. Paris: Presses de l’École Française d’Extrême-Orient.

Nguyen, Ph.-Ph. (1984). Le vietnamien par les textes, Doc tiêng Viêt, second libre, Sudesasie.

Nguyen, Ph.-Ph. (1992). Le vietnamien fondamental. Klincksieck.

Nguyen, T.C. (1975). Tù loai danh tù trong tiêng viêt hiên dai (Catégories de noms dans le vietnamien moderne). Viêt Nam, Hà Nôi: Nhà Xuât Ban Khoa Hoc Xa Hôi.

Riegel, M., Pellat, J.C., & Rioul, R. (1996). Grammaire méthodique du français. Paris: PUF Linguistique Nouvelle.

Truong, V.C. (1970). Structure de la langue vietnamienne. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner.

Winston, E., Chaffin, R., & Herrmann, D. (1987). A taxomomy of part-whole relations. Cognitive Science 11, Trenton State College, 417-444.

How to cite this article: Lo-Cicero, M. H. (2014). L’expression de la relation partie - tout en vietnamien : ses structures sémantico-lexicales. Journal of Linguistic and Intercultural Education – JoLIE, 7, 105-118. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29302/jolie.2014.7.8

For details on subscription, go to: http://jolie.uab.ro/index.php?pagina=-&id=19&l=en