本文目的在指出漢語複合動詞中的象似性(iconicity) 特徵。根據本文觀察，兩個動詞複合時，第二個動詞在概念上相當於目的事件或結果事件，皆符合戴浩一(1985) 所提出的「時間順序原則」(Principle of Temporal Sequence)。本文並追蹤「V 有」「加V」「改V」「補V」四組複合動詞的歷史發展過程，發現複合動詞的一致表現，一方面是延續了詞組的象似性特徵，另一方面則是在新創時也採用了同樣的象似性原則。本文進一步主張，時間順序原則在決定複合成分間的組合關係的同時，也對其詞構、詞義和用法造成一脈相承的連鎖性影響。也因此，漢語中存在兩種截然不同的複合機制，遵循象似性原則的機制創造下層詞(subordinate categories)，不遵循象似性原則的機制則創造上層詞(superordinate categories)。

　　　　　This paper aims at specifying the features of "iconicity" in Chinese V-V compounds. The analysis in this paper shows that the second verb of V-V compounds indicates an event either as a goal or as a result; therefore, this paper argues that Chinese V-V compounds also follow "the Principle of Temporal Sequence" (henceforth PTS) proposed by Tai (1985). Based on a diachronic study of the formation of four V-V compounds (V-you, jia-V, gai-V and bu-V) it has been demonstrated that PTS originates from serial verb constructions or is applied as a principle in creating new compounds. The paper further asserts that PTS can also explain the correlation among construction, meaning, and usage in V-V compounds. Two primary mechanisms thus emerge. The mechanism that follows PTS creates surbordinate categories, whereas the mechanism that does not follow PTS creates superordinate categories.