Chinese Exogenous Word

In the study of modern Chinese, lexicology is a comparatively under-researched field. Unlike the studies of phonetics and syntax, the study of lexicology still remains in an initial stage, given its unsolved theoretical problems, rudimentary research methods, limited number of research findings, insufficient work on data collection, data sorting, data calculation, and data analysis. Foreign source words, as a branch of lexicology, shows similar problems and needs further work on its definition, categorization, and identification of word formation processes. Therefore, it is of great significance to conduct thorough research with substantial data to solve these problems.The thesis consists of eight chapters: Chapter one provides the outline of the thesis with the explanation of the theme and the goal of this project, the research methodology used, the data for analysis, and the linguistics theories the thesis bases on. Chapter two and three review the translation history and the process of foreign source word borrowing, summarize the arguments and disagreements on the definition of foreign source words, and explore the origin of these arguments and disagreements in an attempt to solve the problem with the author's own definition and categorization. Chapter four concentrates on the data calculation and the analysis of the sources, distributions, and contents of foreign source words. Chapter five analyses the converted words, with the focus on the methods of their conversion, their inner structures (phonetic and grammatical) based on a syllable contrast between English words and their Chinese conversions, and their assimilation by the Chinese language. In addition, this chapter tries to explore the causes for such assimilation. Chapter six focuses on original words from Japanese, English, and other western languages whose spellings are not changed in Chinese context. It mainly analyses their types, grammatical structures and phonetic patterns. Chapter seven discusses the development in the borrowing process of foreign source words, the methods of their conversion, and their meanings. In addition, it tries to trace the influence of foreign source words on Chinese word formation. Finally, Chapter eight summarizes the project with discussion on its strengths and weaknesses.