Research On The Chinese New Words Developed Since The Reform And Opening

Vocabulary is the most active element in a language and it has strong flexibility. It is enriched by adapting itself to the needs of development and changes of the society, adjusting itself and creating new words continuously. Therefore, many changes in the society can be reflected in the vocabulary. The new words have greatly enriched the modern Chinese language lexical system and showed uneaqualed social and cultural connotation. So research on the Chinese new words should be attached wide and enough attention by people. All the new words involved in the article are chosen in the period of recent 20 years since the reform and opening till now.Firstly, depiction and definition are used to ascend to the origins of the new words from five aspects, which are the creation, borrowed words, dialectal words, regional words from Hong Kong or Taiwan and glossary. Meanwhile, particular analysis on their construction feature is made from the four major word-building methods, they are demonstration, abbreviation, metaphor and analogy. Secondly it analyzes and dissertated the phenomenon of new meaning coming out of an existing word. It tries to find out the internal cause, describes the pattern how an existing word developed a new meaning. Finally the article applies macroscopical perspective on new words phenomenon from social linguistics, cognitive psychology and other views, illustrates the relationship among the creation, generalization, social reform and development, thinking mode of people, psychology and rules of language itself.