The Lexicalization and Grammaticalization of "Yilü" (一律) and Its Cognitive Explanation

Yilu(一律) was at first a loose combination of two characters where neither the parts nor the phrase as a whole was clearly foregrounded.When lexicalization after frequent use turned the combination into an adjective,the meaning of the characters-'same,identical'-was set in the foreground.When grammaticalization further turned the compound into an adverb,the meaning of the phrase as a whole-'entirely,with no exception'-came to occupy the foreground.Syntax,semantics and cognition worked together in the lexicalization and grammaticalization of the compound phrase of Yilu.