A Corpus-based Diachronic Study On Chinese Color Term GREEN

A corpus-based diachronic study on Chinese GREEN from metaphoric cognition perspective is made primarily in this research.When people use the basic category of the color to construct and explain the category of other cognitive domains,color metaphor cognition is formed.Most scholars at home and abroad have focused on semantic and qualitative studies.However,there have been rare quantitative research on the metaphoric expression of Chinese GREEN.Therefore,by way of the quantitative analysis of the corpus through software,this study comprehensively observes the use and distribution of metaphor patterns of Chinese GREEN in five different stages from Yin and Shang period to modern times(about 3618 years).This paper probes into the evolution and expansion of the metaphoric patterns of GREEN,and analyzes its diachronic development,so as to explore the metaphoric meaning and characteristics of GREEN.The major findings are presented hereon.There are thirteen targets in the five periods: identity status,emotion,vitality,safe passage,political party,metamorphosis,woman,auspicious sign,characters,harmony,ecology,military uniform,pejorative.In Zhou Qin Period,identity status has the highest proportion.In Han Jin Southern and Northern Dynasties,the proportion of identity status is still the highest,followed by emotion and vitality.In Tang and Song Dynasties to Modern Times,emotion accounts for the highest proportion,followed by identity status and vitality.In Modern Times,vitality and ecology account for the highest proportion,followed by safe passage,military uniform,harmony.Based on diachronic analysis of all targets from Yin and Shang Period to Modern Times,it's found that there are three main diachronic pathways: downward trend,fluctuating trend and upward trend.Firstly,the traditional etiquette of superiority and inferiority affects the development of the metaphoric cognition of Chinese GREEN.Identity status shows a stable downward diachronic variation,while the diachronic variation of auspicious sign from Yin and Shang Period to Modern Times is not obvious.This is inseparable from the social background of the time.The importance attached by the ancients to the etiquette of superiority and inferiority is clearly reflected in dress code.The dress is divided firstly by color,secondary color inside and pure color outside,to showsuperiority and inferiority.Since the Zhou Dynasty,the feudal dynasties have always strictly distinguished between pure color and secondary color.Therefore,the color of clothing has become a concentrated embodiment of the ancient etiquette of superiority and inferiority.Secondly,the culture of the history of Chinese literature makes the meanings of Chinese GREEN more abundant.Emotion shows a highly fluctuating diachronic variation,while the diachronic variation of woman and characters is more stable from Yin and Shang Period to Modern Times,which is closely related to the development of poetry.From The Book of Songs to the peak period of poetry development in the Tang and Song dynasties,the use of color words in Chinese ancient poetry is not for the sake of simply showing the verisimilitude of scenery,but for artistic conception.Thirdly,the development of modern society has given the Chinese GREEN new meanings.Vitality and ecology show a highly fluctuating diachronic variation,while others are lower from Yin and Shang Period to Modern Times.The new words of GREEN formed in the new period have changed from the monosyllabic word in ancient Chinese to the two-syllable word in the form of words.At the same time,the meanings of these neologisms are mainly related to ecological consciousness.The formation of these words is related not only to environmental protection and ecological consciousness,but also to the basic meaning of GREEN.