Проблемы китайского и общего языкознания. К 90-летию С. Е. Яхонтова

 595  Analysis of “full” words in Classical Chinese based on the Book of Laozi   syntactic function is the function of predicative verb ( adj ), attribute ( adj in attributive function ) and adverbial modifier ( adv ). The function of the pre- dicative verb can be transformed into the attributive function and vice versa, e. g. 大國 dà guó “big state” ↔ 國大 guó dà “the state is big”. Quality expressed by adjectives is mostly relative, therefore they can ex- press the comparative degree without any markers. If the object of compari- son has to be mentioned, it is introduced by the preposition 於 yú after the given adjective ( adjprep in comparative ). As for their general features, adjectives are close to intransitive verbs, that is why many authors do not treat them as an independent word class. From the adjectives intransitive verbal meanings are easily derived, if they express another than general aspect, mostly the inchoative, conative and continua- tive. On the contrary, an adjective in function of intransitive verb in general aspect does not seem to be productive for them. Some of the adjectives can take a predicative object ( adjV ). Most impor- tant of them are words 可 k “be acceptable”, 足 zú “be sufficient”, 難 n n “be hard” and 易 yì “be easy”. If these are followed by a predicative object, they act at the same time as passive markers, which means that the following verb must be understood as passive transitive verb. E. g.: 魚不可脫於淵 “Fish cannot be removed from the deep pool.” (XXXVI). These and some other adjectives I call together with Nikitina “modal adjectives”. Adjectives can also take a nominal object. In that case their categorial meaning changes to causative, putative or attitudinal transitive verb ( vt ). In nominal functions they obtain either the meaning “carrier of the given feature” or “abstract denomination of the given feature”. This is a very pro- ductive mean of formation of abstract nouns in Old Chinese. Abstract nouns can be also understood in different degrees depending on the degree of the underlying adjective. Syntactic functions of adjectives attested in the text of Laozi : 1. adj (adjective in the function of predicative verb in positive degree) 天 長地久 “Heaven is long-lasting and Earth is enduring.“ (VII) 2. adj0 (adjective in the function of predicative verb in positive degree without any substitutable subject) 道常無名，樸 “For the proper Way there was common the absence of denominations, [everything] was primitive (like a piece of wood)” (XXXII) 3. adj in comparative (adjective in function of predicative verb in com- parative degree) 名與身孰親 “What is closer: reputation or personality?“ (XLIV) 4. adjprep in comparative (adjective in function of predicative verb in comparative degree followed by preposition introducing the object of