An Analysis Of Pragmatic Functions Of Vague Language In Network Catchwords

Along with the popularity of the Internet and personal computer, more and morepeople choose to communicate and exchange ideas using the network, which causes thenetwork language to come into being. Among the Internet languages, network catchwordsare the most widely spread part and applied by most people. As the intirnsic property ofnatural language, vagueness is one of the basic features of language, which can be foundeverywhere in language. Internet language, as a newly-born language, also features invagueness. Network catchwords can represent the Intenret Language for its popularity. Thepresent study aims to analyze vagueness in network catchwords using the method ofqualitative and quantitative research under the guide of Verschuren’s Adaptation Theory astheoretical framework, in order to explore the realization of vagueness in networkcatchwords both quantitatively and qualitatively.By analyzing vagueness in over30network catchwords between2008and2010quantitatively, based on Verschuren’s Adaptation Theory, the paper analyzes the way bywhich vagueness is realized in network catchwords. The following conclusions are made.Hedges, vague words and phrases and vague implications are three main ways of realizingvagueness in network catchwords. This shows that vagueness widely spread in networkcatchwords. In addition, the use of vagueness in network catchwords is adapted to relativecontext, linguistic choice-making structure as well as dynamic changes of context andlanguage structures. To be specific, the existence of vagueness in network catchwordsresults from the adaptation of the herd mentality of the Internet users, the pursuit of fashion,needs of psychological identification, needs to improve the speed of communication,purpose of gaining entertainment, guarantee of the communication quality, requirement to deliver sensitive and unharmonious information. Thus, it can be concluded that vaguenessin network catchwords can ensure the accuracy and brevity of language in networkcommunication which features in being fast and simple. Besides, using vagueness canproduce more profound inward meaning, and is also able to flilly convey the meaningeffectively containing negative information and sensitive issues, ensuring the normalcommunication on the Internet.