Abstract: This article is intended to offer a detailed, formal explanation of the processes whereby the compound word niu-du (牛犊) is decoded. The focus is confined to the following three formulae: 1) niu-du is decoded as adult cow and calf (as in Classic Chinese, here cow is used as a generic term); 2) niu-du is decoded as calf alone (as in Modern Chinese); 3) niu-du is decoded as cow and calf (here cow is also used as a generic term). A series of rules or principles are set forth for these formulae so that each can produce the desired output. The structure of niu-du (meaning calf) tends to form the misconception that the word is composed of niu as modifier (meaning bovine) and du as head (meaning certain young mammals). That will lead du to a cross-species broadening in terms of its scope of reference. In fact, the appearance of hu-du (TIGER-CALF, tiger cub) can serve as a piece of evidence. After the cross-species broadening is completed, a slight change will take place in the decoding process of niu-du (calf), because niu (i.e. cow, a generic term), once a redundant component, will become a real modifier when an immature cow/bull is referred to.
Keywords: niu-du (calf, etc); semantic copying; decoding principles; semantic combination; cross-species broadening
Wu, Xiaojing. [2006] 2007. How is the compound word niu-du (牛犊) decoded? LiYunXueKan 2006(2): 79-95. Sponsored by School of Chinese Language and Literature, Beijing Normal University. Beijing: Wenyuan Publishing House, 2007.
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