Cognitive Study Of Modern Chinese Color Words

This first chapter has reviewed the recent research situation of color words as well as the achievements so far. It sums up the number of modern Chinese words of color and lists previous definition of Chinese color words. With definite research scope and the main research object, it shows a comprehensive study of the relationship between the cognitive linguistics and modern Chinese words of color.The second chapter bases on the Origin of Chinese Characters, and analyzes the characteristics of ancient Chinese color words as well as the current use of them. Further analysis of ancient Chinese color words focus on cognitive psychology, means of word creation and theoretical evidence of diction. It discourses upon the relationship between the use of metonymy and metaphor in cognitive linguistics and the creation of ancient Chinese color words along with its usage.The third chapter studies the means of word creation via modern Chinese compound words of color words, and it divides Chinese color words into nine basic categories, and it has a detailed list of color words in each scope of color. From the characteristics of cognitive function of color words and their naming ways, color words will be divided into five categories. The first three categories based on the names of the real objects such as a particular social group as well as the words that reflect the objective properties of color. These color words are generally referred to color features. The latter two categories have the function to describe the color of color words, which expresses the color meanwhile also express the synaesthesia feelings for the color. Or it reflects the color domain upon the emotional and special domains. This dissertation analyzes the types of Chinese synthetic color terms, and also the cognitive psychology and named arguments of the Han nationality.The fourth chapter compares and analyses the similarities and differences of cognitive metaphor in basic English-to-Chinese words of color. Examples are cited to show the translations of two languages are not equivalent and reciprocal. From the perspectives of social culture and historical customs, it analyzes the cognitive features that people use these two languages characteristics.