현대 한어 신조어 연구 - 2006년 한어 신조어를 중심으로

Abstract

ABSTRACT

A study on Modern Coined Words with Chinese words in 2006 as the center

Kim Young Hyun Adviser : Prof. Cho Hee Moo. Ph.D Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Graduate School of Chosun University

Language is the emblem of culture and the form of a society. The development and change of society causes the development and change of language. Especially the drastic change which appeared in the social structure after the implementation of reformation and opening in 1978, has incurred huge changes in the fields of economics, politics, culture, scientific technology, education, and hygiene, and when new objects, phenomena, and situations occur, the changes are reflected in neologism. Therefore, studying and researching neologism allows not only to acquire knowledge of new objects, but it becomes an important material in observing the social aspect of a country. The purpose of this article is to acknowledge and analyze the social aspects reflected in neologism and the word composition, creation, and use features of Chinese neologisms, by studying the 171 neologisms issued by the ‘National Language Letter Commission’ affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China on August 16, 2007. In Chapter I, the purpose of research is described and the research trend on the amount of research conducted so far on existing neologisms through is explained by examining previous studies. In Chapter II, the concept, formation, and route of neologism are examined. There was no officially recognized single perspective regarding the concept of neologism. However, in view of the common perspectives of several scholars, this article has defined the concept of neologism as below.

(1) Neologism satisfies societal demands and contains the quality of continuously emerging and existing for a fixed time by usage in a considerably widespread area. (2) Neologism is a word designated to clearly present a new object or concept. (3) New words that have appeared as a result of public demand to strengthen or transform an existing word, which has reduced expressiveness, into a word with fresh connotations is also included as a neologism. (4) These neologisms are words stably used as general words commonly used by the public during a certain period after going through widespread spacial agreement.

When examining the background of neologism formation, social transformation in politics, economics, culture, scientific technology, education, and hygiene and change in lifestyle and ideas of people have occurred due to acceleration of reformation and opening since the new era, and these changes expedited the creation of neologisms. The route of neologism formation was through the huge social transformation called reformation and opening after the new era, when a large volume of neologism formation has occurred. Especially, as international exchanges have become more frequent, a large volume of neologisms reflecting foreign scientific technology and cultural phenomena are being created, and the southern dialect was able to spread out all over China due to the active use by language users pursuing new matters in the new era, which was brought in through various routes based on the southern economic hub. In Chapter III, this article has categorized the 171 neologisms into sections, and examined the methods of word-formation, features of word-formation, and features of word usage. First, this article has categorized the neologisms into current affairs and politics, legal system, internet scientific technology, commerce and economics, social life, culture and education, psychology, physical education and entertainment, health hygiene, and marriage and family. The ‘social life’ category contained the largest number of neologisms, in which words expressing modern entertainment and urban life composed the majority. This result stems from the fact that the quality of life became a priority due to economic growth and increase of income, which resulted in people showing interest not only in material culture, but also moral culture. In clause 2.1, the method of word-formation has been examined through ‘combination and affixation,’ ‘abbreviation,’ ‘generalization of terminology,’ ‘common usage of internet terms,’ ‘absorption of loanwords,’ and ‘newspaper vocabulary.’ There are various and plentiful principles and methods of a word structure. Furthermore, methods of word-formation, such as when a new word joins a language family, generalization of terminology, and common usage of internet terms, clearly expresses the commercially viable, epidemic, and chaotic features of pop culture by being acknowledged as a language for cultural medium. Furthermore, through the development of scientific technology, it is especially apparent that the commodity economy has relatively developed, routes and mass media has constantly increased, media can freely publishing materials, and social conceptions have become more open-minded.

In clause 2.2, the features of word-formation were explained in four ways. First, bisyllabic and polysyllabic words constitutes the majority. Second, abbreviation is an important method to express complicated objects and concepts. Third, the method of word-formation through affixation is a main type of the structure of neologism. Fourth, there is an increase in neologism formed through non-traditional word-formation methods.

In clause 2.3, the features of word usage have been examined through features of word meaning and change of meaning. The features of word meaning have been explained by dividing it into (1) grammatical significance, (2) significance in word boundary, and (3) coloristic significance. The features of word change have been explained in three categories. First, it occurs from word elements in which existing words acts as an affix. Second, change of word meanings appear in some word elements in which existing words acts as the root. Third, creation of words with differing colors causes the expansion or spreading of meaning of the composing components of a word. In Chapter IV, the interpretation on sociality reflected in the 171 neologisms has been examined. The societal changes reflected in neologisms reveals the fact that the economic growth of China, above all things, was the direct cause of numerous changes in various aspects. If China, which has its reformation goal as the socialist market economy, achieves a rapid growth in economy, the influence on all fields will increase, and neologisms reflecting this change will constantly emerge. Through the research of this article, the social aspect reflected in the 171 neologisms in 2006 has been generally examined, and the unique word-formation rules and various social and cultural phenomena of China have been explored. This article is distinguished from existing studies in that the neologisms which occurred in a year was the subject of research. Based on the fact that research on neologisms allows to predict the future of China through the rapidly changing current China society and at the same time, allows to understand the various issues appearing in the Chinese society, studies on neologism should be continued so that a more systematic and overall researches are conducted.