Dynamic Categorization Of Old Words With New Meanings In Modern Chinese (2016-2020) From The Perspective Of Embodied-Cognitive Linguistics

The phenomenon of “old words with new meanings” in modern Chinese is a true reflection of changes in people’s lives and a special linguistic phenomenon.It is often in a state of dynamic change and gradually enriches human language life unconsciously.Through the historical review of research on the phenomenon of old words with new meanings,this thesis found that previous scholars mainly explained this phenomenon from a rhetorical perspective,positing that the emergence of new meanings occurs mainly through derivation and borrowing,without delving into deeper cognitive reasons.Some scholars have applied Cognitive Linguistics,including metaphor,metonymy,memetics,and conceptual blending theory,to explore the cognitive mechanisms of the emergence of OWNM.They argue that the new meanings of words originate from the cognitive processes formed by the interaction between human beings and the experiential world.However,previous scholars have not viewed the language phenomenon of OWNM in modern Chinese as a dynamic category change from the Embodied-Cognitive Linguistics perspective.There is a lack of a systematic cognitive theory to explain the generation mechanism of the dynamic categorization process of OWNM.Moreover,the collection,organization,and analysis of the corpus of OWNM are not yet comprehensive in previous research.In view of this,this thesis is based on the core principle of Embodied-Cognitive Linguistics,“reality-cognition-language”,and employs the theory of metaphor and metonymy to explain the dynamic categorization process of OWNM in modern Chinese,providing new insights for systematic research.The thesis selects old words with new meanings that emerged between 2016 and 2020 as the research objects,using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods.The corpus is derived from the “Language Situation in China” compiled by the State Language Commission.A total of 78 corpora samples were analyzed from four aspects: phonetics,syntax,semantics,and pragmatics,aiming to answer the following questions:(1)What are the features of dynamic categorization of old words with new meanings in modern Chinese?(2)What are the cognitive mechanisms involved in the dynamic categorization process of old words with new meanings in modern Chinese?(3)What general laws do the dynamic categorization of old words with new meanings in modern Chinese follow?The major findings of this research are as follows:(1)The semantic features of dynamic categorization of OWNM are reflected in four aspects: phonology,syntax,semantics,and pragmatics.In modern Chinese,two-syllable words account for the majority of OWNM,representing 53.85% of cases;while nouns and verbs constitute the main types,accounting for 76.92% and 19.23%,respectively;this thesis identifies semantic changes in old words with new meanings,which are mainly manifested in three processes: 82.05% of the vocabulary underwent re-categorization,46.15%underwent trans-categorization,and 44.87% underwent de-categorization;emotional color shift is the most prominent additional change after adding new meaning.(2)The dynamic categorization of OWNM is achieved through metaphorical and metonymic mechanisms.The cognitive mechanism of OWNM is a process of “dynamic categorization based on ECL”.The generation process of OWNM is embodied,conforming to the core principle of ECL,namely,“reality-cognition-language”.“Reality” refers to the real basis for the emergence of OWNM,while “cognition” refers to the cognitive process of dynamic categorization.Based on “reality” and “cognition”,the phenomenon of “language expression” for OWNM is promoted.(3)The dynamic categorization of OWNM often follows the category-changing and cognitive laws from concrete to abstract,objective to subjective,and special to general.The significance of this research lies in: firstly,within the perspective of ECL,based on the Dynamic Categorization Theory(DCT),this thesis systematically analyzes the dynamic semantic evolution process of OWNM through metaphor and metonymy,revealing the social reality foundation for the formation of this linguistic phenomenon.Secondly,the collection and organization of small closed corpora provides valuable data references for future research on new words.Finally,in pragmatic practice,the ability to accurately use OWNM can help people avoid unnecessary misunderstandings caused by improper use of word meanings and provide certain reference for teaching guidance of Chinese internationalization.