AStudyontheCharacteristicsofCyberEnglishVocabulary网络英语的词汇特征研究

毕业论文网络英语的词汇特征研究 学生： 指导教师： 系别：外国语学院 年级：2004二0 0八年五月A Study on the Characteristics of Cyber English Vocabulary Student: Huang HaixiaTutor: Wang YangDepartment: School of Foreign LanguagesGrade: 2004Chongqing Three Gorges UniversityMay, 2008Abstract: With the development of computer technology, network goes into hundreds of thousands of households. Influenced by using environment and its main users, it has some features different from the general English. By now, many scholars have studied it from the following aspects and have some achievements. For example: the origin and future of cyber English, the influence the cyber English has on English teaching and learning, the new cyber English vocabulary, the translation of cyber English. What this paper will study is the characteristics of cyber English, by citing examples and analyzing, we can know that the cyber English vocabulary has characteristics such as innovation, arbitrariness and compatibility. Keywords: cyber English vocabulary; characteristics; future 摘要：随着计算机技术的发展,网络走进了千家万户。受使用群体和使用环境的影响，网络英语具有了一些不同于普通英语的特征。目前对网络英语的研究在以下方面已有所成果，如：网络英语的产生及其景，网络英语对英语教学的影响，网络英语新词汇，网络英语的翻译。本文主要对网络英语词汇的特征进行探讨，通过举例说明，分析论证等方法，得出网络英语具有创新性，随意性，兼容性等特征。关键词：网络英语词汇; 特征; 前景Outline1. IntroductionWith the development of computer technology, network goes into hundreds of thousands of households and more and more people begin using the internet for real-time communication. The network which is a “hypothesized” world has provided people with a secret, free, relaxed and imaginable space which can not be found in the real daily life. In this space, web cams formed a unique language - cyber Language. Since it was born, the cyber Language has been developing quickly and is having a greater and greater influence on social language life. By now, it has been studied by many famous experts and linguists. What this passage will study is the features of cyber English vocabulary, which may help people promote their knowledge on cyber English, make them study English better, and communicate more efficiently on the internet. 2. The characteristics of cyber English vocabulary2.1 Innovation2.1.1 Use homophonic letters and numbers2.1.2 Form new words by abbreviation2.1.3 Use symbolic language 2.1.4 Give new meanings to existing words2.2 Arbitrariness2.2.1 The informality of writing 2.2.2 Neglect some grammatical rules 2.2.3 Use a lot of informal words2.3 Compatibility2.4 Great creativity and great influence 2.4.1 Great creativity2.4.2 Great influence3. The future of cyber English vocabulary3.1 Further richness3.2 Standardization 3.3 Collectivization3.4 Generalization.4. ConclusionDifferent from the traditional communication mediums, the main features of network communication are quickness and high efficiency, it not only requires that the people communicating on the internet transmit information accurately but also require that they find out what they need from the abundant and incessant information quickly. In this case, in order to save time and complete the communication effectively in the shortest time, people engaged in the electronic commerce and people who go surfing on line all day hollow their thoughts to create a brief language which is easy to input, therefore make the cyber English have features like innovation, arbitrariness and compatibility. In this passage, we had a study on the characteristics of cyber English vocabulary, by which people may have a better knowledge on the cyber English, study English better and communicate more efficiently on the internet.1. IntroductionWith the development of computer technology, network goes into hundreds of thousands of households and more and more people begin using the internet for real-time communication. The network makes people break through the boundaries and the barriers among regions, countries, nationalities, languages, traditions, beliefs and so on, makes the humanity enter into the fast-developing information age. “In this age, by network, people can send electronic-mails (e-mail), carry on-line commercial business (e-business), go shopping online (online shopping), read network magazines (webzine), watch network videos (web TV), and in the chatroom, they can make network friends (net partner) freely and even seek for network sweethearts (cyber lover)” (曾纪伟 2005:105). We can see from this that the network is an open system in which everybody is equal, the peoples social background, occupation, sex, age, years of schooling and such other factors are hidden by the remote space and the unique network anonymous system. Therefore, the distance between them is shortened and the complex interpersonal relationship in the real life is also greatly simplified, people do not need to “pretend to be serious”, or need to constrain themselves. We may say, this “hypothesized” world on the internet provides people with a secret, free, relaxed and imaginable space which can not be found in the real daily life. In this space, web cams form a unique language -cyber Language. Since it was born, the cyber Language has been developing quickly and is having a greater and greater influence on social language life, and peoples interest in studying it is greater and greater too. By now, many linguists have studied it from the following aspects. For example, the network vocabulary, the features and standards of network language, the origin of network language. In recent years, there have already been some achievements in this field. For example, in China, several dictionaries and works on network language have been published. The study on cyber English-the internationally recognized cyber Language is mainly carried out from the following aspects: its origin and its future, its influence on English teaching and learning, the new cyber English vocabulary. What this paper will study is the characteristics of cyber English vocabulary.2. The characteristics of cyber English vocabulary2.1 InnovationAs we all known, the network is a “hypothesized” world and it has provided people with a secret, free, relaxed and imaginable place which can not be found in the real daily life. In this space, people get rid of the bondage of the real world and the rules in the real world. By utilizing their unique and novel imagination, they find some new ways to create cleverly-constructed and astonishing words. For example: using homophonic letters and numbers, using symbolic language, using abbreviation and adding new meaning to existing words.2.1.1 Use homophonic letters and numbersThe homophonic letters and numbers refer to those letters and numbers which are similar to the English words in pronunciation. The reason that people create homophonic letters and numbers lies in two aspects: first, these new homophonic letters and numbers are simpler and shorter than those old English words, by using them, web cams can save time in inputting the information and promote the communication efficiency. Second, the young web cams is a group of people pursuing for innovation, therefore, they can find great fun in creating, using and transmitting the homophonic letters and numbers. For example:r = are c u = see you OIC = oh, I see.ICQ = I seek your u there = are you there?2 = too/to 4 = four/forme 2 = me too 4ever = for everCUL8R = see you later2B or not 2B = to be or not to be 2.1.2 Form new words by abbreviationIn general English, there are also many words formed by abbreviations. These words are mostly from Proper phrases, they are recognized and widely used by the public. For example: IOC = International Olympic Committee; UNESCO = United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. But the cyber English words formed by abbreviation are a little different. Generally speaking, theyre informal, lack the using rules which can make them be accepted and widely used in other careers, but they are simple and it is easy for people to understand, to remember and to transmit them. Therefore, they are very popular in network communication. For example:第 11 页 共9页NITE: nightSP: supportPLSPLZ: pleaseIE: Internet ExplorerPPP: point to point protocolBBS：Bulletin Board SystemCPU: Central Processing UnitVG: very goodTTUL: talk to you laterTIA: Thanks In AdvanceIMHO: in my humble opinionTYVM:Thank You Very Much NOYB: None Of Your Business Wassat: whats that ? ROTFL: Rolling On The Floor Laughing 2.1.3 Use symbolic languageThe so-called symbolic language refers to a set of language formed by the symbols on the keyboard. In the early time people communicate through the internet, neither can they see each others expression, nor can they hear each others sound, this limitation sometimes make people have some deviations and misunderstanding to what others say. In order to make up this flaw, web cams then make full use of those symbols, graphs, and numbers on the keyboard to transmit human emotions such as happiness, anger, sadness and smile, thus creates a set of unique network symbolic language (钟吉娅 2001:126).The symbolic language is vivid, profound, thought-provoking and easy to understand, it makes up the deficient authenticity of on-line sentimental exchange. Therefore, it quickly becomes popular in the world. Even if today when people have already been able to communicate by video frequency and audio frequency, it is still commonly used in the chatroom, forum, BBS and e-mail. But, being a specialized and strongly humorous language, it is mainly used by “the cybraian” and the active young people, and seldom used in formal situation. For example: ) smile. ; -) wink: - ) happy: - I indifferent8- ) sunglasses: - screaming. : - S confused: - D astonished: - ) make me sick5555 - crying . : - e disappointed ( childish, naveZzzz - sleeping : - O shocked, surprised ?- ( have question to ask, perplexed )2.1.4 Give new meaning to existing wordsBecause of the similarity between two things, web cams often use the word describing one thing to describe another thing. Therefore, many existed word are given new meanings and become vivid. It is easier for people to understand them. We can see this process of word formation in traditional English words formation too, but the cyber English vocabulary formed by this way is different, because most of them are given the meaning related to computer or the network. For example: “menu” which originally means “list of dishes available at a restaurant, or to be served at a meal” now refers to “a list of options from which a user can choose, displayed on a computer screen”; “mouse” which originally means “mall rodent with a long thin tails” now refers to “small hand-hold device that is moved across a desk-top etc to produce a corresponding movement of the cursor, with buttons for entering commands”; “ memory” which originally means “power of the mind by which facts can be remembered” now refers to “part of a computer where information is stored”; “window” which originally means “opening in the wall or roof of a building, car etc to let in light and often air usually filled with glass in a frame” now refers to “screen of a visual display unit regarded as a means of displaying part of a drawing ,etc in a computer”.2.2 ArbitrarinessThe cyber Englishs main user is young people. In the process of personalization and socialization, the promotion of their self-awareness makes them want to be recognized by others, which gradually make them begin to separate from the social crowd. Then by the resistance to social mainstream and authority, by behaviors different from the traditional society, they show their maturity and self-existence to people. In this process, the informal, free, relaxed communication environment in the network provides condition for them. We can see it from the following aspects.2.2.1 The informality of writing The informality of writing can be seen from the following two aspects. the first one is neglecting the difference between uppercase and lowercase of letters. For instance: “China” is written as “china”; “Mary” is written as “mary”; “The Summer Palace” is written as “the summer palace”; “Nice to see you” is written as “nice to see you”; “Who are you ?” is written as “who are you ?”, the reason that people ignore the difference between uppercase and lowercase of letters mainly lies in that they want to save the time used in exchanging the two forms. The second one is seldom using the hyphens. For example: “e-mail” is written as “email”; “cyber English” is written as “cyberEnglish”; “e-book” is written as “ebook”.2.2.2 Neglect some grammatical rulesWe can see the ignorance of some grammatical rules from two aspects. “the first is the reduction of “ s ” in noun possessive case” (孟雯玮、童芳华 2006:25), for example: we often say “ user interface” instead of “users interface”; the second is the reduction of the phenomenon that use “-ing” after verbs to modify nouns, for example, the full title of the most famous British Broadcasting Company is “ British Broadcasting Corporation” in which “-ing” plays a role of modifying, but in cyber English, Broadcast usually does not have the morphological change, for example, we often say “Broadcast address” instead of “Broadcasting address”.2.2.3 Use a lot of informal words The network provides people with a secret, free, relaxed and imaginable space, in this space, people get rid of the bondages of the real world, they dont need to behave as the rules require or as the public recognize. So they dont ask for accuracy on the use of cyber English words, no matter the word is pejorative or appreciative, no matter it is official or unofficial, it is always acceptable only if it can express the meaning expected to express. For example:Quit = resign Leave = depart Wanna = want to Gotta go = got to go Hi = how do you do? how are you ?2.3 Compatibility“In computer domain, the compatibility refers to that after the installment of different softwares, different hard wares or the different versions of identical softwares as well as hardwares, the computer can still work normally, and does not affect any other software or hardware” (孟雯玮、童芳华 2006:25).The compatibility of the formation of cyber English vocabulary includes two aspects: the first is that cyber English can be mixed with symbols, icons, pictures, numbers to transmit information vividly. For example: the e-mail address: icecream. (the symbol “” means “at”), the website domain: , . This feature of cat is moved across a desk-top Eefer to yber English words construction is very active in online chat, letter transmission as well as website domain name registration. It always give people a fresh, direct-viewing feeling.The second feature of the compatibility of cyber English refers to that once entering into other countries, the cyber English and the language in that country will have a mutual influence until they can adapt to each other and be used together. This is especially true in the domain names naming, application as well as the registration. For example: the domain name of the “ 就爱E书网” which is very popular among e-book lovers is , the number “9” is used because it is harmonic with the Chinese word “就” and “I” is used because it is harmonic with the Chinese word “爱” (love), by using “9” and “i” and adding the word “ebook”, this registration is not only easy to remember, but also show the characteristics of this website. It is a typical example in which Chinese and English are used together. There are also other domain names named by the similar way, for example: the domain name of “我爱E书网” is www.52ebook, com.2.4 Great creativity and great influence2.4.1 Great creativityThe cyber English vocabulary has great creativity because of the many processes of words construction. Since its birth, English has been a language with extremely great creativity, the traditional processes of English words construction include: compounding, derivation, abbreviation, back-formation and so on. As a branch of English-cyber English undoubtedly inherited some traditional ways to create new words, among which the most common two are compounding and derivation. The words formed by these two ways are mostly related to computer or the network.The first one is compounding, which is becoming more and more important in creating new cyber English words. “The seriation of compounding is one of the main features of cyber English vocabularys construction, and there are many new words formed by combining with such words as electronic ( e ), cyber, hyper, web” (刘爱平 2004:108). The new words at first were two words, then be linked together by a hyphen, at last, become a word without using the hyphen. These new words are indispensable for the network users to express their thoughts. The massive use of them reflected the huge vitality and the potentiality of the cyber English. For example:e-business web pagee-journal web sitee-trade web mastere-mail affair web TV cyber pub net speak cyber brain net partener cyber college net news hyper media net magazine hyper text firewallhyper access freewareThe second is derivation. Derivations are mainly formed by adding suffix and prefix. The cyber English words formed by derivation are usually related to electronic or cyber. For example:-naut: internaut, cybernautMicro-: micromoney, microselfDigit-: digitcam, digerait, digeer-wave: freeware, shareware, groupwarePre-: preview, preset, prescan, preprocesserRe- : reboot, retry, recyclebin, refresh, replayInter- : internet, interactive, interface, interlaceTele-: telecommuter, teletype, teleconference, teletextExcept for the traditional ways of words formation, web cams also create some new ways as mentioned above to create new words. For example: using homophonic letters and numbers, using symbolic language, using abbreviations and so on. For example: Please = pls F2f = face to face OICU = oh, I see you HAGO = have a good time - = many many roses2.4.2 Great influenceNow, almost everybody knows what is “e-mail”, what “: )” means and what “Zzzz-“implies. We can also see many other expressions originally used on internet are transmitted into our ordinary life in a great number. There is no doubt that the cyber English vocabulary is having a great influence on our social life. This characteristic is firstly determined by its users and its other characteristics, there are a great number of web cams, and most of them are young people, the features of cyber English vocabulary such as innovation, arbitrariness and compatibility meet their need of pursuing innovation, conciseness, individuality and high efficiency, therefore provides condition for its wide spread in our ordinary life. Second, “the cyber English words which are used frequently are transmitted quickly by people on the internet and finally have a great influence on web cams ordinary communication” (刘文燕 2006:73). Because of its high use-frequency and its fast development, the cyber English vocabulary will fasten its speed to spread, strengthen its popularity