Understanding the Generalization of the Chinese Address Term “Laoshi” from Prototype Theory
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22161/jhed.7.4.12Abstract
In recent years, the use of the address term “laoshi” (teacher) has become extremely common in both real-life and online communication. This social address term is no longer synonymous solely with “educator” but carries richer referential meanings. As for the reasons for the generalization of “laoshi”, they extend beyond linguistic factors such as its inherent characteristics and gaps in the Chinese address system, also including social factors like widespread recognition of the teaching profession, alignment with public psychology, and the profound influence of Confucian thought over millennia. Therefore, the term “laoshi” with cognitive fuzziness has important functions in our lives. This research adopts the perspective of cognitive linguistics, applying prototype theory to analyze this cognitive fuzziness and demonstrate that the generalization of “laoshi” positively facilitates communication.
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