The Cultural Rethinking of Multidimensional Comparison between English and Chinese Lexicons—The Case of Word Families Containing “rén (人)” Morphemes
- 1 School of Chinese Language and Literature, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
- 2 School of Chinese Language and Literature, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
- 3 School of Chinese Language and Literature, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
- 4 School of Chinese Language and Literature, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
- 5 School of Chinese Language and Literature, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
Abstract
Based on Cultural Cognitive Linguistics, this paper investigates word families containing the morpheme “ren” (人rén). Through multidimensional comparisons of word formation, semantic features, and socio-cultural connotations, it reveals the deep-seated differences in English and Chinese lexical systems and their underlying cultural-cognitive motivations. It is found that the Chinese word system with “human being” as its core is highly productive and regular, reflecting the Eastern comprehensive thinking and group-oriented view, while English relies on the derivation and recombination of multi-origin roots, reflecting the Western analytical thinking and individualistic tradition. At the semantic level, Chinese builds a hierarchical semantic field through the fixed pattern of “modifier + person”, whereas English is characterized by multiple etymologies and a decentralized semantic structure. This study provides theoretical support for cross-cultural communication and language teaching from a cognitive perspective, and emphasizes the need to pay attention to the cultural rationale behind vocabulary in language teaching.
- Aronoff, M. (1976). Word Formation in Generative Grammar. In Linguistic Inquiry Monographs Cambridge (pp. 1-134). MIT Press.
- Bauer, T. N. (2001). Applicant Reactions to Selection: Development of the Selection Procedural Justice Scale (SPJS). Personnel P sychology , 54 , 387-419.
- Blom, J. P., & Gumperz, J. (2000). Social Meaning in Linguistic Structure: Code-Switching in Norway. In W. Li (Ed.), The Bilingualism Reader (pp. 111-136). Routledge.
- Crystal, D. (2003). English as a Global Language . Cambridge University Press.
- Dong, X. F. (2005). On Chinese Affixes and Related Morphological Properties. Chin ese Language Learning, 6 , 13-19.
- Guo, M., & Herrmann-Pillath, C. (2019). Exploring Extended Kinship in Twenty-First-Century China: A Conceptual Case Study. Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, 48, 50-75. https://doi.org/10.1177/1868102619845244
- He, Z. Y. (2012). Cultivating Students’ Sensitivity to Differences in English-Chinese Language Thinking through Comparison of English-Chinese Language Vocabulary and Sentence Structure. Journal of Inner Mongolia Normal University (Education Science Edition), 25 , 76-78.
- Hu, F. M. (2014). A Comparative Study of English-Chinese Lexical Metaphors in the Perspective of Experience Philosophy. Teaching and Management, 21 , 109-111.
- Huang, S., & Jia, W. (2000). The Cultural Connotations and Communicative Functions of Chinese Kinship Terms. American Communication Journal, 3 , 32-47.
- Jiang, D. C. (2014). A Comparative Study of English-Chinese Vocabulary . Southeast University Press.
- Liao, C. F. (2006). A Comparative Study of English-Chinese Metaphorical Vocabulary. Journal of Guangxi Institute for Nationalities (Philosophy and Social Science Edition ) , 3 , 146-149.
- Lucy, J. A. (1997). Linguistic Relativity. Annual Review of Anthropology, 26, 291-312. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.anthro.26.1.291
- Mao, H. Y. (2007). Commonalities and Differences between English and Chinese Language and Thinking—A Comparative Study of English and Chinese Vocabulary from the Perspective of Cognitive Linguistics. Learning and Exploration, 6, 211-213.
- Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions . Oxford University Press. https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/faq/