Iconicity Between Chinese Verb Tone and Action in Understanding Language: An Embodied Cognition Perspective

doi:10.12002/j.bisu.625

Abstract

Abstract:

The tone of Chinese words has the function of distinguishing the meaning of words. The tone of Chinese verbs is often in the same direction as the action of the verb representation, and there is an iconicity between them. Three experiments were conducted to investigate the perceptual simulation of the iconicity of the tone orientation and the action direction of Chinese verbs in visual channels and motor channels. Experiment 1 revealed that the iconicity of Chinese verbs’ tone orientation and the action direction did not produce a perceptual simulation of spatial representation in the visual channel, but did produce a perceptual simulation of spatial representation in the motor channel. Experiment 2 showed that there was a spatial consistency effect between verb tone orientation and letter presentation position (arrow orientation). A pure tonal auditory file of a double-word verb was used in Experiment 3; it was found that the perceptual simulation was still generated after the pure tone orientation was separated from the action represented by the verb, and that spatial consistency effects appeared in both the visual channel and in the motor channel. The entire study showed that the intonation of Chinese verbs is not an arbitrary symbol, but reflects the inherent characteristics of the action itself. The use of tone in Chinese vocabulary revealed that people express cognitive results as iconically as possible.

Keywords: Chinese verbs; tone; iconicity; perceptual simulation

摘要：

汉语词汇的声调具有区别词义的作用。动词的声调通常与动词所表征的动作方向一致，二者具有象似性。本研究通过3个实验考察了汉语动词的声调朝向与动作方向的象似性在视觉通道和运动通道的知觉模拟。实验1发现，动词的声调朝向与动作方向的象似性在视觉通道未产生空间表征的知觉模拟，在运动通道产生了空间表征的知觉模拟；实验2发现，动词的声调朝向与字母呈现位置（箭头朝向）具有空间一致性效应；实验3采用双字动词纯声调听觉文件，发现纯声调朝向在与动词所表征的动作分离以后仍然产生了知觉模拟，在视觉通道和运动通道均出现了空间一致性效应。整个研究表明，汉语动词的声调不是任意的符号，它反映了动作本身固有的特征。汉语词汇声调的使用反映出人们倾向于以象似性的方式来呈现认知成果。

关键词: 汉语动词, 声调, 象似性, 知觉模拟

CLC Number:

B842/H0-05

Zhang Jijia, Min Cuizhen. Iconicity Between Chinese Verb Tone and Action in Understanding Language: An Embodied Cognition Perspective[J]. Journal of Beijing International Studies University, 2026, 48(1): 11-32.

张积家, 闵翠蓁. 声调朝向与动作方向的象似性对汉语动词理解的影响——基于具身认知的视角[J]. 北京第二外国语学院学报, 2026, 48(1): 11-32.

Figures/Tables 6

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声调与动作的象似性	声调朝向与字母呈现位置的一致性
声调与动作的象似性	一致	不一致
高	539（10）	541（11）
低	540（112）	540（11）

声调与动作的象似性	声调朝向与字母呈现位置的一致性
声调与动作的象似性	一致	不一致
高	539（10）	541（11）
低	540（112）	540（11）

声调与动作的象似性	声调朝向与箭头朝向的一致性
声调与动作的象似性	一致	不一致
高	477（10）	490（11）
低	491（11）	484（11）

声调与动作的象似性	声调朝向与箭头朝向的一致性
声调与动作的象似性	一致	不一致
高	477（10）	490（11）
低	491（11）	484（11）

声调与动作的象似性	声调朝向与字母呈现位置的一致性
声调与动作的象似性	一致	不一致
高	514（53）	527（49）
低	512（52）	525（47）