On The Phonological Study Of Rumors

The aim of this dissertation is to describe and classify the linguistic style of gossip through Weibo forward, based on the theory that linguistic style is the requirement of the way of act to the speech participants to finish one type of speech activity and the structured variation on the form and usage mode of language during the process of this speech activity. It is believed that the research of linguistic style is a dynamic, open and generative process. Using recent new methods of linguistic style research as a source of reference, this article argued that the illocutionary force of transmittee(被传者),the aim of gossip, the interpersonal factor and the media nature are the basic elements which form the linguistic style of Gossip.In the first chapter the linguistic style of gossip in general meaning is defined. Analyzing the speech feature of linguistic style of gossip, it is raised that the gossip is structured by four elements:the transmitter, the gossip, the receiver and the transmittee, among which the transmittee is not indispensable while its appearance influences the nature and types of different gossip. It is argued that the illocutionary force of the transmittee forms one continuum:the highest force/the lowest force which varies along two major parameters:free versus framed and the number of the participants.It is argued that the intertexuality between the speeches, the interaction and the recursive nature are the basic features of linguistic style of gossip and further discussed the linguistic methods of these functions.According to the principle " The less variables in the formation of linguistic style, the higher the level of linguistic style; as the aggregation of the variables, the level of linguistic style is lowering.", the general linguistic style of gossip is divided into several hypogynies:the one-to-one oral gossip, the one-to-one mobile message gossip, the one-to-one or one-to-many mobile connecting to Internet gossip, one-to-one strong tied gossip in social networks through Internet and the one-to-many and many-to-many weak tied gossip in social networks through Internet. Weibo forward gossip is the typical one of weak tied gossip in social networks through Internet.In the second chapter it is concluded that the Weibo forward gossip is aiming to copy the words, construct self-image, and to keep and form the community network. It has high interpersonal participating and mainly works on weak ties. Based on instantaneity, mingling between written and oral language and limited text capacity, this linguistic style has the feature of intertextuality on the face of discourse.In the third chapter, it is therefore suggested that the intertexuality in Weibo forward acting is slightly different with the frame raised by former scholars and it has its own performance. The discussion of two aspects of its intertexuality has led to the four types of the relationship between the forward host text and paratext. The continuum of the source of the paratext corresponds to the continuum of the trasmittee.Conclusions are summarized in the epilogue.