目 录
Abstract. v
摘要 v
Outline vi
提纲 vii
1. Introduction 1
1.1 Origin of color words 2
1.2 Definition of connotation 3
1.3 Introduction of English color words 3
1.4 Introduction of Chinese color words 4
2. Classification of English and Chinese color words and comparison of their basic meanings 5
2.1 Classification of color words 5
2.1.1 Basic color words 6
2.1.2 Color words with colors of objects 6
2.1.3 Mixed color words 7
2.2 Comparison of basic meanings 7
2.2.1 The same word with the same meaning 7
2.2.2 The same word with partially the same meaning 8
2.2.3 The same word with different meaning 8
2.2.4 Semantic vacancy 8
3. Connotation of English and Chinese color words 9
3.1 Red 9
3.2 White 10
3.3 Black 11
3.4 Green 12
3.5 Yellow 12
3.6 Blue 12
3.7 Some other colors 13
4. English and Chinese color words with some other social factors 13
4.1 Color words and politics 13
4.2 Color words and economy 13
4.3 Color words and taboo 14
5. Conclusion 14
Works Cited 15
On the Cultural Connotation of English
and Chinese Color Words
Abstract: This paper makes a brief analysis on different connotation of color words by taking English and Chinese color words as examples so as to illuminate the topic specifically. For the complexity and versatility of color words’ cultural meanings and functions, this paper attempts to analyze and explore the connotation of English and Chinese color words by citing a large number of examples and referring to some scholars’ previous scientific theories and works. This paper first states the significance of researching the connotation of color words. Then it analyses the meaning and connotation of English and Chinese color words, revealing the differences by contrasting. It also investigates the relationship between color words and other social factors. At last, this paper explores the functions of color words. In addition, seeing the cultural differences of English and Chinese, this paper analyses the connotation of color words by adopting examples from literature works.
Key words: culture; color words; connotation
