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Part of
Current Studies in Chinese Language and Discourse: Global context and diverse perspectives
Edited by Yun Xiao and Linda Tsung
[Studies in Chinese Language and Discourse 10] 2019
► pp. 222–243

Chapter 11
The classification of Chinese time expressions from Systemic Functional Linguistics Perspectives

| The University of Sydney, Australia
| Southwest Jiaotong University, China

Time expressions are one of the fundamental concepts of human cognition and communication and thus have been the major concern in many linguistics, applied and developmental psycholinguistic studies (e.g. Klein & Li 2009; Li & Bowerman 1998; Shirai, Slobin, & Weist 1998). A study of time expressions in Modern Chinese (Mandarin) was conducted to explore the common patterns, system networks and realizations from a Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) perspective. The results indicated that (1) time expressions can be classified as extent or location; definite or indefinite, (2) within extent a distinction can be made between duration and frequency; within location there are subcategories of Absolute and Relative; of Rest and Motion (3) the forms used to realize these time elements of time are nominal groups, adverbs and pre-verbal phrases, though not all subcategories of temporal elements are realized by all these forms.

Keywords: time expressions, Chinese circumstantial elements, classifications
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Time expressions: Extent
    • 2.1Definite time
    • 2.2Indefinite time
    • 2.3Duration time
    • 2.4Frequency time
  • 3.Time expression: Location
    • 3.1Definite temporal location
    • 3.2Indefinite temporal location
    • 3.3Absolute temporal location
    • 3.4Relative temporal location
    • 3.5Rest temporal location
    • 3.6Motion temporal location
  • 4.Time expressions and classfications
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 15 April 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/scld.10.11tsu
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