A Brief History of the Chinese Language VIII

Abstract

As the final volume of a multi-volume set on the Chinese language, this book studies the Western and Japanese influence on the lexicon of Modern Chinese, lexical developments in synonyms, idioms and proverbs in modern times, and lexical developments in contemporary times.This volume first introduces the influence of foreign cultures on the modern Chinese lexicon with an emphasis on loanwords from Japanese and Indo-European languages. It then discusses the synonyms, idioms and proverbs of Modern Chinese, elucidating their evolution, sources and composition. The final part centers on the development of the Chinese lexicon after the May 4 Movement in 1919, marking the beginning of the contemporary phase of the Chinese language. The author analyses trends and types of neologisms and loanwords and analyzes the blend of Mandarin and dialect words as well as the necessity of lexical standardization.Illustrated with abundant examples, this comprehensive groundwork on Chinese lexical history will be a must read for scholars and students studying modern Chinese language, linguistics and especially for beginning learners of modern and contemporary Chinese lexicon.