Are Nouns Different in Chinese? Towards a Few Theoretical Insights
Open AccessUsing data from sampled television sitcoms (N=24), this study examines how nouns reflect different cognitive patterns in English and Chinese natural conversations. The cognitive differences between English and Chinese speakers have shown to be salient by scholars, yet previous research has mostly focused on Chinese being a verb-centered language with regards to these differences. Little has been done on revealing the link between the conceptualization and usage of noun and the culturally-bound ways of thinking.As the world becomes increasingly globalized and people need to communicate with each other better, cognitive habits that differ at the roots of cultural beliefs need to be recognized and considered. This research reveals the cognitive and social consequences associated with the alternative way to think about and use nouns in the Chinese language. The research first clarifies the term noun as it is conceptualized differently in Chinese, demonstrates its distinctive usage and ambiguous role, and illustrates its different cognitive consequences. Building on the solid evidence that nouns are different in Chinese, this research tests the cognitive patterns proposed to be associated with Chinese and English speakers by Richard Nisbett's cultural cognitive theory (2004): context-orientation and object-orientation respectively. Specifically it tests (a) if Chinese speakers use fewer nouns than English speakers, (b) if nouns in Chinese are less focal than nouns in English, and (c) if nouns in Chinese tend to enter conversations via categorical relevance less frequently than in English.Results indicate that Chinese speakers do not use fewer nouns than English speakers in general, but nouns in Chinese are indeed used in a less focal way than in English, and the circumstance of nouns being organized in categorical relationship is extremely rare in Chinese. The study finds that nouns bear on the questions of what people pay attention to, how they judge the relevancy of information, organize daily conversations and conceptualize language as a social institution. In sum, Chinese speakers tend to value the procedural aspect of matters whereas English speakers tend to value the specification and categorization of matters, partially owing to their different ways of using nouns. Specifically, Chinese speakers frequently put nouns in an even-focused sequence, whereas English speakers usually prefer to single out nouns emphatically. The findings of this project attest to a moderate version of linguistic relativity between English and Chinese speakers, and advocate for a deeper understanding of rudimentary differences in cultural precepts and social institutions between different cultures.
- All rights reserved
Notice to Authors
If you are the author of this work and you have any questions about the information on this page, please use the Contact form to get in touch with us.