Semantic Structure of Mental Processes in Uyghur: A Transitivity System Perspective

Bumaieryemu·Aikemu

School of Chinese Minority Languages and Literatures, Minzu University of China

Abstract：

Mental processes represent the dynamic reflection of objective reality by the human brain, which are employed to encode internal experiences including sensation, cognition and response. Taking the transitivity theory proposed by Michael Halliday, the founder of Systemic Functional Linguistics, as the analytical framework, this study systematically sorts out and explores four types of mental processes in Uyghur, namely affection, volition, perception and cognition. This paper categorizes and analyzes the semantic configuration structures of core elements including the senser, phenomenon and process in Uyghur mental processes, and elaborates in detail the specific types of the four categories of mental processes and the characteristics of their semantic configuration structures.

Key Words：

systemic functional linguistics; transitivity system; mental process; semantic structure; Uyghur language