系统功能语言学视角下英法名词词组的对比

沈澜菊

摘  要：本論文将从分析英语名词词组与法语名词词组的个别案例入手，试图将他们从系统功能语言学的角度进行对比。对比主要包括以下方面：名词词组的经验结构中的定性语和名词词组经验结构中的对语序的解释。在本论文中，将阐述产生以上英法名词词组之间的不同点的原因。最后一部分是得出的结论，即英法名词词组之间存在差异，从系统功能语言学的角度出发的对比研究是一种研究此类问题的新方式。

关键词：英语名词词组;法语名词词组;对比;系统功能语言学

1 Introduction

1.1 Background information

Systemic functional grammar is a new way provided to process discourse analysis.Moreover，it can also be a way to analysis issues existing in the aspect of grammar.The comparison between English nominal groups and French ones can be one of the applied angle of systemic functional grammar.This kind of perspective can lay an explain on the linguistic phenomena which can not be clear from the perpective of traditional grammar.

Thus，there is a need of making a comparison between English nominal groups and French ones at the aspect of systemic functional grammar.

After the comparison，there are two reasons analyzed which are considered as the key to the differences between English nominal groups and French ones in the experiential structure.

1.2 Organization of the thesis

This thesis is to give an introduction in the first part.In the second one there is an presentation of the interpretation of ordering in the experiential structure of the nominal group，the interpretation of qualifier in experiential structure of the nominal group，and some items in French grammar.In the third part there is a presentation on the comparison between English nominal groups and French ones from the perpective of systemic functional grammar.For the forth part，there is an analysis of the reasons why the differences exists.The conclusion is to be drawn in the last part.

2 Literature Review

2.1 Interpretation of ordering in experiential structure of the nominal group

The interpretation of ordering in experiential structure of the nominal group is as the following：

Proceeding from left to right，we begin with the immediate context，the identification of the item in terms of the here-&-now，e.g.those trains ‘the trains you can see over there’.Of course this identification is often in terms of the surrounding text rather than the situation，e.g.those trains ‘the trains you’ve just been talking about; but the point of reference is still the speech event.From there we go on to quantitative features： place in order，and number.These are less naturally definitive than this or that，mine or yours，but more so than a merely qualitative attribute; and the ordinals，being the more definitive of the two，come first.An ordinal is a kind of superlative cardinal： third = ‘three-est’，i.e.identified by being at number three.Next come the qualitative features，again with superlatives preceding others： the oldest trains ‘trains for which oldness is the identifying feature’.Often there is an intensifier，such as very，or an attitudinal element like nice，terrible，as a marker of the quality.Finally comes class membership; this reduces the size of the total set referred to in the noun by specifying a sub-set，e.g.passenger train ‘kind of train that is for carrying passengers’.We are talking here，it should be made clear，of the identifying potential of these elements.In any actual instance，the item in question may or may not be identifying; and this is the function of the word the at the beginning of the group - to signal that something that is capable of identifying is actually functioning in this way.

In the nominal group，we begin with the Deictic.From there we proceed to elements which have successfully less identifying potential.So we proceed with the very impermanent，quantitative characterization，which is nearest to a Deictic，e.g.three in three balls; though various qualitative features such as new in new ball; and end up with the most permanent，the assignment to a class，e.g.tennis ball.Within the qualitative characteristics，if more than one is specified there is again a tendency to move from the less permanent to the more permanent; a new red ball rather than a red new ball.

2.2 Interpretation of qualifier in experiential structure of the nominal group

The interpretation of qualifier in experiential structure of the nominal group is as the following：

“What of the element which follows the Thing？ The original example ended with the phrase with pantographs; this also is part of the nominal group，having a function we shall refer to as Qualifier.

Unlike the elements that precede the Thing，which are words （or sometimes word complexes，like two hundred，very big） what follows the Thing is either a phrase or a clause.”

2.3 Interpretation of ordering in the structure of French nominal groups

The ordering of more than one adjective that is to be put in front of nouns is described as the following：

From this table，it is clear that in French nominal groups，the ordering of the experiential structure is interpreted as the following：

From left to right，it begins with the Deictic; then it comes with the Numerative; next it proceeds with Epithet e.g.autre，premier，and so on.They are followed by the Thing.

2.4 Interpretation of the place of qualitative adjectives in the structure of French nominal groups

The majority of adjectives in French follow the nouns，while some precedes the nouns.The adjectives whose meanings represent colours，forms，religions，nationalities，etc，follow the nouns.Some short adjectives which are in a common use precede the nouns.

3 Differences between French Nominal Group and English Nominal Group from the angle of Ordering in Experiential Structure in Systemic Functional Grammar

From the perspective of the interpretation of ordering in experiential structure of nominal groups in Systemic Functional Grammar，it is more suitable for French nominal groups than English ones in some cases.Whereas it is more suitable for English nominal groups than French ones in other ones.

3.1 Case study one

There is Example One

In French，the expression of the last three days is les trois derniers jours.In this nominal group，les means the in English，and trois means three.Derniers means last in English，while jours means days.

In English，the same meaning is expressed in this way： the last three days.In this kind of expression，last is put after the Deictic and before the Numerative，which is quite different from the ordering in experiential structure.

In English，the same meaning is also expressed in this way： the three last days.In this kind of expression，last is put after the Numerative，which is the same as the ordering in the French nominal group.

There is Example Two.

In French，les deux autres enfants means the other two kids.Les means the，deux means two，autres means other，and enfants means kids.

The ordering in the French nominal group is the same as the explanation in systemic functional linguistics.

However，in English there are two ways to express the same meaning：the other two kids and the two other kids.

The experiential structure of nominal group the other two kids is quite different from the interpretation of ordering in experiential structure of nominal group in systemic functional grammar.In this nominal group，from left to right，the first one coming out is the Deictic，then the second one is the Epithet.The Epithet is put in front of the Numerative，which is not as same as the ordering explained in the previous part.The last one is the Thing，which is in accordance with the interpretation of ordering of the experiential structure of nominal groups.

The experiential structure of nominal group the two other kids is in accordance with the interpretation of ordering in experiential structure of nominal group in systemic functional grammar.

It begins with the Deictic.Then it proceeds to elements which have successfully less identifying potential.So it proceeds with the very impermanent，quantitative characterization，which is nearest to a Deictic，i.e.the Numerative; and ends up with the most permanent，the assignment to a class，i.e.Epithet.The above elements are in front of the Thing.

3.2 Case study two

The interpretation of qualifier in experiential structure of the nominal group is only of phrases and clauses，which excludes adjectives.However，in French，the majority of adjectives follow the nominal group.

There is an example：

A French nominal group，un tableau noir，means a black table.In this nominal group，the adjective is put behind the noun.

4 The Analysis on the Reasons of the Differences between French Nominal Groups and English Nominal Groups

4.1 Reason from the relation between language and linguistics

Systemic Functional Grammar is the explanation of the general tendency of language，so it is not designed for all language phenomena.Language can be changeable and various from time to time.Thus the work of linguistics is to keep the study on the central nature of language phenomena.

4.2 Reason from the relation between English and French

There are many differences between English and French，which causes the differences between them from the angle of Systemic Functional Grammar.Moreover，the main subject of Systemic Functional Grammar is English，which is also a reason of its unsuitability for the explanation of French nominal groups.

5 Conclusion

The differences between French nominal groups and English nominal groups are mainly revolved in two aspects.One is the ordering in the experiential structure of nominal groups，while the other is the qualifiers which follow the Thing.

Through the comparison between French nominal groups and English nominal groups from the perspective of Systemic Functional Grammar，the thesis casts a light on a new way in the comprehension of language phenomena which can be considered in language teaching，language comparison，and so on.

Bibliography

[1]M.A.K.Halliday.An Introduction to Functional Grammar[M].外語教学与研究出版社，2000.

[2]Y·德拉图尔.全新法语语法[M].上海译文出版社，2017.

[3]夏彦国.一本搞定大学法语语法[M].外语教学与研究出版社，2017.