Chinese Euphemism Cognitive And Applied Research

Studies about Chinese euphemisms are countless, which are mainly carried out from the perspectives of semantics, sociolinguistics, rhetoric, psychology and pragmatics. Comparing with the previous studies, this thesis, from the perspective of cognitive linguistics, analyzes Chinese euphemisms systematically. By taking Chinese euphemisms system as a language information system and a prototype-category system, this thesis explores the cognitive basis of Chinese euphemisms and analyzes the characteristics of Chinese euphemisms in the system of language information and the producing mechanism in the system of prototype-category. Marking the relationship between language information system and prototype-category system and interpreting the cognitive process of Chinese euphemisms are to provide the basis for the application of Chinese euphemisms in the field of Chinese teaching as a foreign language. At the same time, by finding out the problems occurred in the learning process of Chinese euphemisms, this thesis summarizes the teaching and learning methods of Chinese euphemisms and provides efficient short-cuts for Chinese euphemism learners.The data are collected from Chinese Euphemisms Dictionary edited by Mr Zhang Gonggui. The methodology employed in the research is the combination of the method of research and study, the method of chart making, the method of comparison and analysis and the method of summarizing and inducing.This thesis regards Chinese euphemisms as a cognitive activity and a way of thinking, not just a pure language phenomenon. It is the special cognitive characteristics of Chinese euphemisms that make Chinese euphemism the key part of vocabulary teaching of Chinese as a foreign language. So the future studies will focus on the cognitive interpretation of Chinese euphemisms.