A Cognitive Semantic Study Of Formal Units From Baidu Pop Stars' Post Bar

Based on formal unit conceptual frame theory, conceptual metaphor theory and conceptual metonymy theory, this thesis applies qualitative analysis and case study to analyze formal units from Baidu Pop Stars' Post Bar, and tries to solve the following three questions:(1) How to classify formal units from Baidu Pop Stars'Post Bar? (2) How the meaning of those formal units are constructed? (3) What are the pragmatic functions of formal units from Baidu Pop Stars'Post Bar?Major findings of this thesis lie in three points. Firstly, according to the carriers of new meaning, formal units can be divided into five types: abbreviated formal units, homophonic formal units, potential compounds, old words with new meaning and icons. According to the formal structure, formal units in this thesis can be divided into words, phrases and sentences. Words can be divided into simple words, compound words and derivational words. Simple words include monosyllabic words, disyllabic words and syllabication words. Compound words include the following types:coordinate compounds, verb-object compounds, adverbial-center compounds, definite-center compounds, repetition compound. Phrases have the following four types:noun phrases, preposition phrases, verb-object phrases and verb-complement phrases. Noun phrases have two subtypes:modifier-head phrases and coordinate phrases. The structure of sentence includes S+V+O. Secondly, cognitive mechanisms operating the meaning construction processes are conceptual metaphor and conceptual metonymy. Different types of formal units have different basis, processes and mechanisms of meaning construction. Meaning construction mechanisms of abbreviated formal units, homophonic formal units, potential compounds and icons are mainly conceptual metonymy. Meaning construction mechanisms of old words with new meaning are conceptual metaphor and conceptual metonymy. Thirdly, pragmatic functions of formal units from Baidu Pop Stars' Post Bar can be concluded as follows:efforts saving, personality showing, novelty expressing, irony, euphemism and humor.Through the cognitive semantic study of formal units, this thesis argues that the production of and the meaning construction of formal units have a close relationship with the knowledge structure of fans on the Internet. What is more, formal units from Baidu Pop Stars' Post Bar have their special pragmatic functions, which will be discussed in this thesis as well.