A Cognitive Study Of Metaphorical Features Of Chinese Netspeak Vocabulary

Nowadays, information about the whole world is changing constantly, and Internet is the important medium for people to get instant information and exchange ideas. Internet language arising from this situation becomes the sign of new human beings because of its strong vitality and influence. Ubiquitous metaphor filters into Internet language likewise. Lakoff and Johnson's Metaphor We Live By (1980) offers a wholly new space for metaphor study. Accordingly, metaphor is not only a kind of language phenomenon, a figure of speech, a discretionary adornment, but a thinking mode, a cognitive tool, an capacity that everyone has.This paper holds that metaphor is a characteristic of Chinese net vocabulary; understanding the metaphorical features of Chinese net vocabulary serves as the prerequisite for deeper insight into Chinese Internet culture. Though the metaphorical phenomenon of netspeak has caught much attention, few researches put network vocabulary into metaphorical field. Chinese net words spring up and update at speed in recent years, and almost everyday runs the chance of creating new words and expressions on net. Studying the metaphorical features of Chinese net words and expressions is really a new and challenging task. The paper outlines the development of netspeak and characteristics, word-buildings, structures, practical applications as well as the future trend of Chinese Internet vocabulary, analyzes the metaphorical features of Chinese network words based on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), Conceptual Blending Theory (CBT) and Image Schema Theory (IST), considers Richards' idea of the prevalence of metaphor in the field of netspeak, and discusses major causes for popularity of network vocabulary, the positive and negative impacts upon traditional Chinese and the significance of studying Internet vocabulary. In addition, the paper proposes to show the prevalence of Chinese netspeak and their metaphorical phenomenon in order to help have a better understanding of Chinese network words and expressions and have a deeper insight into Internet culture through illuminating the metaphorical features of Chinese net vocabulary under a certain context. This study is to prompt Chinese Internet culture to develop and shine with greater brilliance at the meantime.