A Cognitive Semantic Study Of The Chinese Network Catchword "X+Jing(?)"

Chinese network catchwords are products of Chinese culture and the Internet' s development,and “X+Jing(?)” is a typical example.Previous studies have explored the Chinese network catchword “X+Jing(?)” mainly from a grammatical perspective and few studies have investigated the meaning construction of the network catchword “X+Jing(?)” in Chinese from a cognitive perspective systematically.Thus,this thesis takes the Chinese network catchword “X+Jing(?)” as its research object based on Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Conceptual Metonymy theory to conduct a cognitive semantic study mainly with a qualitative method.Three respects are investigated in the thesis: the semantic evolution of Chinese “Jing(?)” and “X+Jing(?)” along with the formation of the Chinese network catchword “X+Jing(?)”;the meaning construction of the network catchword “X+Jing(?)” in Chinese and its cognitive mechanisms;the cognitive motivations for the meaning construction of the network catchword “X+Jing(?)” in Chinese.Through our study,we have come to the following conclusions:(1)Chinese “X+Jing(?)” has experienced semantic evolution since ancient China.Chinese “X+Jing(?)” follows the chain patternA?A+B?B+C?B+C+D and its main meanings are: pureness,energy,essence of X;a demon of X(a virtual character in novels);be good at X;a person or a thing with a distinguished feature(such as the frequency,degree,or function)of X.Based on the semantic evolution of Chinese“X+Jing(?)”,the Chinese network catchword “X+Jing(?)” in formation is categorized into four types: the Chinese network catchword“X+Jing(?)” in coordinate structure,predicate-complement structure,subject-predicate structure and those in modifier-head structure.(2)The meaning construction of the Chinese network catchword“X+Jing(?)” is based on human's bodily experiences as well as the observation of human and non-human characteristics.The meanings of the “X+Jing(?)” in coordinate structure are derived from HUMANS ARE ANIMALS and HUMANS ARE FOOD metaphor.Meanings of the “X+Jing(?)” in predicate-complement structure,subject-predicate structure,and in modifier-head structure are mostly achieved by metonymic relationship PART FOR WHOLE or ABSTRACT FOR CONCRETE.The above cognitive analysis indicates that the cognitive mechanisms behind the Chinese network catchword “X+Jing(?)” are mainly conceptual metaphor and conceptual metonymy.(3)The principal cognitive motivations for the meaning construction of the Chinese network catchword “X+Jing(?)” cover embodied motivation,psychological motivation,social motivation,andcultural motivation.Embodied motivation shows visual,auditory and gustatory perception.Social motivation mirrors hot issues in the society and echoes public voice.Psychological motivation reflects psychological pressure,cognition of self and others.Cultural motivation manifests characteristics of Chinese culture in different periods and takes nourishment from Chinese Classic Works such as Journey to the West and The Book of Songs.