A Comparative Study Of The English And Chinese Names Of Chemical Elements Based On RMPP Model

Terminology is the foundation for the development of each discipline and condenses the understanding of the research problem by the relevant discipline’s researchers.Chemical elements are crucial components of chemistry,and their names are the most fundamental concepts used in the study of chemistry.They are vital for the communication of scientific knowledge and have a significant function as symbolic expressions in the course of scientific study.Hence,the cognitive and social study of chemical element names aids in understanding their origins and the meanings they imply.Chemical elements are linguistically significant as well as being the subject of scientific research.There is still opportunity for investigation despite the positive outcomes of earlier studies on the names of chemical elements from the perspective of translation,naming classification,culture,and politics.First of all,due to a lack of systematization,these studies primarily concentrate on describing and categorizing the English name’s origin rather than investigating its naming patterns in the context of related theories.In addition,these studies have not thoroughly investigated the social environment in which chemical element names developed and evolved,ignoring the influence of social variables on the names.Finally,there is a lack of investigations on the comparison of English and Chinese names for chemical elements.Current studies primarily pay attention to English names for chemical elements.The research objects for this thesis will be the names of 118 chemical elements that have been published by the reputable organizations International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry(IUPAC)and Chinese Chemical Society(CCS).From the perspective of cognitive sociolinguistics,a novel theoretical model RMPP will be presented to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the English-Chinese names of chemical elements and reveal the cognitive patterns of their formation.It is found that chemical element names are used as part of scientific terminology,and the discoverer or other authority has the power to name new elements.Secondly,based on the prominence principle,the English names of chemical elements highlight property,geographical entities,minerals or other similar substances,people,celestial bodies,and mythological figures in accordance with their etymologies.While Chinese names emphasize the existence form of chemical elements,add radical “金(钅)”,“气”,“石”,and “水(氵)” as important portions of the Chinese character based on their English names.Lastly,by comparing the two language naming patterns,it is found that they both have names that are literally one word or one character and imply the nature of the element.This is controlled by the experiential nature of language,the economy of communication,and the standardization of naming.The difference lies in the fact that the two naming modes choose different cognitive reference points and the subjects of naming power do not coincide.This is a reflection of the nomenclator’s ideology and the outcome of the functioning of discourse power.English names are influenced by and a product of scientific and technological development,whereas the name is the condensation of the relevant professionals’ understanding of the substance.Due to the fact that the majority of chemical elements have been discovered abroad,Chinese names are primarily derived from the concept of English names and blended with Chinese features to produce terms.