An initial study about lexical field of the unconventional unit (estimated by hands and arms) in vietnamese

S64(246)-2016 NG6 N NGff & Bfg S6N G 9

NGON NGff HQC VA VIET NGff HQC"]

HIEU THEM VE NH6 M TlT CHI DCWV VJ

TINH TOAN, DO LlTOWG KH6N G CHINH XAC

(Dl/QfC irdC LirONG BANG TAY) TRONG TIANG VlfT

AN INITIAL STUDY ABOUT LEXICAL FIELD OF THE UNCONVENTIONAL UNIT

(ESTIMATED BY HANDS AND ARMS) IN VIETNAMESE

PH4MTH}H A

(TS;Bjihpc Suph^mHdNfi)

TRAN THI MINH

(NCS; D^i hfc Hamburg, CHLB Svc)

Abstract: The present study investigates the lexical field of hand and arm measuarement.

Simultaneous existence of an unconventional unit (gang tay a span, n/tum, tian, ndm a

[landfill, vdc a double handfiil, etc.) and a standard unit (kilo, cm, feet, etc.) in Vietnamese in

particularly and in many languages in generally let us to have a question about the cultural

features of the lexical system of the unconventional unit. In this paper, twelve lexical words

are described, categorized and analyzed into two systems, length and distance (gang span,

dit handsbreadth, sai fiUI span of the arms) versus weight and amount (ndm, nhiim, tiim a

handful) in comparison with English to understand more about the influence of Vietnamese

agricultural way of life to the language expression.

Key words: lexical; unconventional unit; hand and arm mesuarement.

1. Ngdn ngft hpc tri nhdn dd chi ra rdng, Ngay t i thdi xa xua con ngudi dd chi ^

pdc ngdn ngft ty nhiSn diu cd nhiing cdch din khdi nifm do ludng ude djnh di do cdc

fliio rieng trong vifc ti chic cdc tdi lifu ngft d?i lupng khdc nhau. Tuy nhifn, bfn c?nh hf

bghia vd rnii ngdn ngft diu ed phdn dnh mf t ihing cdc don vi do ludng chinh xdc, khoa

bdeh huih dung vi fliyc t?i khdch quan cia hpc, cd tinh quy ude quic ti, tBng m5i ngdn

fcpng ding van hda- bdn ngtt dd fliudng dupe "^ •=*" ^^ ^ •"' ' ^f tiling nhftng tit chi sy

b i Id "md hinh vi flii gidi" hay "bic ttanh "^^ '•""8 trong do ludng, flnh todn. CWnh

y gidi". Mil md htoh nhu till, ngodi cai ^ " ^ '"^ 8 ^* ^ " ^^J , ""l '**'^

. . . J , , ,. .. ,. .,« ,, V dac diem vdn hoa neng cua ting ddn tpc. ,;hung, cai pho qudt, cd cdi neng, cdi ddc flii, „ j . ... ,, T ,, „j. , . ; ^ „

^ J- 1 -= TO --r , ^jj^j pjj^ jjj nguyfn li "di nhdn vi trung"

jing vdi tilng ngdn ngft vd phan^dnh mpt cdch ^ ^^ ^.^ gia Hi Lap c6 (Con ngudi Id

^ gidc, mft cdch nhdn fliic ve flii pdi cia ^ ^ ^ ^ ^^,i ^.jj_ g^^^^^ p^^, ^^^

idn tfe ay, dupe gpi Id "cdch nhhi flii gidi^". fl,j^ (.g„g j^^c- >T,jg6n ng^ ^^^ ^ ,j theo

ifrong nghifn ciu ndy, ching tdi budc dau thudc do cua con ngudi v4 fliudc do dd dupe

^pa hiiu "cdch nhm thi gidi" cia ngudi Vift in sdu tixmg bdn thdn sy djnh hudng cia ngdn

hong qua nhdm ti chi cdc don vj tinh todn, ngft:". Khdi nifm "thudc do" d ddy mang

jHo ludng khdng chinh xdc (dupe ude lupng nghia rfng, tuy nhifn, chiing tdi chi nghien

Ibang tay) ti»ng tilng Vift. ciu nd d gdc df do ludng (nghTa den). Vd di