Semantic Generalization of the Buzzword "Involution" from the Perspective of Cognitive Metaphor

Abstract

Originally an academic term in the socio-economic field, "involution" refers to "the development of internal refinement in the face of external constraints", but with the spread of new media, the term has quickly become popular in "academic circles" and is widely used by the general public. In this process, its semantic meaning has also changed. This paper takes a cognitive-metaphorical perspective to sort out the process and metaphorical mechanism of its semantic generalization and further analyzes the causes of its semantic generalization to explore the cultural phenomenon and social psychology behind the Internet buzzword.