A comparative study on color words in Chinese and Western cultures
Abstract
In our daily life,There are different kinds of colors.And color is closely related to people’s life.In human language,we use color words frequently.Due to the respective cultural background,language habit,traditional custom,people’s feeling and expression to the color are not the same,the symbolic meaning of color can produce difference between Chinese and Western culture.So,we should pay attention to observing not only their basic meaning,but also the deep and symbolic meaning.The symbolic meaning of color always have different features in different language cultures.Some of the color words have become taboos and adornments since the meaning of the color words are extended and transferred,This paper tends to make a contrastive study of symbolic meaning difference of color words.
Key words: Color words; Cultural differences; Symbolic meanings; 1. Basic introduction of color words 1.1 Definition of color
Color is the byproduct of the spectrum of light, as it is reflected or absorbed, as received by the human eyes and processed by the human brain.It is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, yellow, blue, black, etc.
1.2 Culture and their relationship
Color words in culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge，experience,
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beliefs, values, attitude, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles ,spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving. Color words are determined by the culture, of which the substantial content is in turn reflected by the cultural meaning. Because of the spread of the modern science and technology, exchange of ideology and culture, the modern views on the color of various nationalities are reaching unanimity. However, it is in virtue of the factor of culture that different national language still has a different view of the color. Color exists objectively in the nature, that is to say, it is unchanged in view of different language corresponding vocabularies.
2. Different Symbolic Meaning of Color Words in Chinese and English 2.1 Red
In Chinese culture, red always means the good things. First, red used frequently in special events, holidays and ceremonials. In ancient time, when people got married, the bride and bridegroom always dressed in red, and everywhere were decorated by red lanterns,red ribbons. Actually, almost everything in the wedding had something to do with red color in ancient China, even it is today; although the western wedding style is very popular in China nowadays, people still keep the traditional custom in a wedding. It is usually believed in China that red can against evil influence. Moreover, red also stands for lucky and joyous. In Spring Festival, People like everything decorated in red, which is called “red letter day”. Besides, there is an idiom to describe Spring Festival that with red in it as well—the “double red happiness”, which
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means good fortune will come to you. Red also symbolizes the revolution and progress. For instance, Communist Party of China’s initial regime is named “red regime”, the initial army are called “the Red Army”; it symbolizes success, smooth going.
Nevertheless, to Westerners, “red” is usually related to danger, war, blood, terror and sensuality. For instance, when the traffic lights turn red, it means danger and pause; red card is widely used to punish players who act badly in sports and games. Scarlet is the color of bright red, yet its connotation meaning is libidinous (好色的) or flagrant. Nowadays, “red light district” in a few Western nations still implies whorehouse.Another symbolic meaning of red color is cruel ferocious and bleeding. For example, the massacres with violence.It symbolizes the radical violent revolution, such as red hot political campaign, a red revolution, red activities etc. 2.2 White
Other than the color red, white is also a color that differs in Chinese and English cultures.
White and red are opposite in Chinese culture. White is a basic taboo word that reflects Chinese people abandon and disgust in both material and spiritual aspects—it reflects the death and ill omen in Chinese culture. In a funeral, the relatives must wear mourning for the death of parents and relatives in ancient time. White can also represent autumn in the past and guarded by a white tiger and its direction was west. Because of political influence, white symbolizes backward, rottenness and surrender; for instance, when an army fails, the soldier plays a “white flag” to show their
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A comparative study on color words in Chinese and
