ABSTRACT

Transferred epithet, a figure of speech with both eccentricity and reasonableness, is a very interesting linguistic phenomenon worth studying. The present thesis makes an analysis of transferred epithet in English on the basis of property dualism, and reveals its reasonableness, necessity and aesthetic meaning through the introduction of the concepts of double properties and supervenience in the theory of property dualism as well as the demonstration of the assumption that the salient role and obscure role in the formation of transferred epithet are of mutual effect. It finds that the salient role in transferred epithet has double properties, with its mental property both dependent on and independent of the physical one. The mental property of the salient role acts on the obscure role and the obscure role converts it into its own psychological feelings through an individualized choice of the mental properties of the salient role and finally makes the psychological feelings the salient property of transferred epithet. It is the interaction between the salient role and the obscure role that makes the anomalous collocation of transferred epithet reasonable and smart and explains how transferred epithet can be odd but natural. 

Key words: transferred epithet; property dualism; supervenience; aesthetic meaning

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One INTRODUCTION-1

Chapter Two LITERATURE REVIEW-2

2.1 Traditional Study of Transferred Epithet-2

2.2 Modern study of Transferred Epithet-2

2.2.1 Fuzzy semantic cases-2

2.2.2 Mapping of the conceptual integration theory-3

2.2.3 Blended space of the conceptual integration theory-3

2.2.4 Coercion in construction grammar-4

Chapter Three PROPERTY DUALISM-6

3.1 The Definition of Property Dualism-6

3.2 The Background of the Emergence of Property Dualism-7

3.3 The Main Content of Property Dualism-7

3.3.1The reconciliation of the three principles-7

3.3.2 The supervenience of the mental on the physical-8

Chapter Four TRANSFERRED EPITHET AND PROPERTY DUALISM-11

4.1 The Formation of Transferred Epithet-11

4.2 The Ways of the Property Transference of Transferred Epithet-12

4.2.1 The property transference from humans to objects-12

4.2.2 The property transference from the humans to a part of a human body-13

4.2.3 The property transference from objects to objects-13

4.3 The General Connection between Property Dualism and Transferred Epithet-14

4.3.1 Double properties-14

4.3.2 Supervenience-15

4.4 The Aesthetic Value of Transferred Epithet-17

Chapter Five CONCLUSION-18

REFERENCES-19