论文部分内容阅读
【Abstract】Based on the classification of word meaning by linguist Geoffrey Leech， this thesis conducts a semantic study of the Internet neologism “Foxi” based on the collected data. It’s found that “Foxi” has all the seven kinds of meaning.
【Key words】neologism; meaning; Leech; Foxi
【作者简介】梁听雪（1997-），女，山东淄博人，中国地质大学（武汉）外国语学院本科在读，研究方向：英语语言文学。
The neologism “Foxi” ， “佛系” in Chinese， which went rival and became a prototype for imitation， is a by-product of the uneasiness bred by the contemporary society in which rapid advancements and high demands are the order of the day. The classification of word meaning is of great significance to the semantic analysis of Internet neologisms， so this thesis aims to deeply explore the conceptual， associative， and thematic meaning of “Foxi” in various contexts in light of Leech’s seven types of word meaning. In order to have a close study， 46 pieces of linguistic data are collected from people.cn， xinhuanet， SOHU.com， IFENG.COM， NETEASE， and Baidu search engine. It is hoped that this study can help people better understand the complicated meaning and deep implication of “Foxi” and the social and cultural factors behind its emergence and popularity.
In Semantics， Leech （1974） makes a detailed categorization of word meaning. Conceptual meaning is the denotative meaning of a word. Connotative meaning refers to the intentional meaning that a word implies. Social meaning refers to the meaning a word conveys about the social circumstance of its use. Affective meaning conveys the feelings， attitudes and opinions of the speaker in linguistic activities. Reflected meaning stands for the meaning of the same word that can make listeners associate one sense of expression with another. Collocative meaning is a word’s meaning when it’s used with another word. Thematic meaning is the meaning expressed by the word order of a sentence or the emphasis attached to a word.
3.1 Conceptual meaning
“Foxi” was first introduced to Chinese readers in 2014 from a Japanese magazine that uses“仏男子” to depict a kind of young men who focus mainly on themselves and don’t bother to spend time with female friends. It was after this term is explained in a Wechat post《第一批90后已經出家了》that it truly hit the Internet and began to hold the attention of Chinese netizens. At that time， the term has no direct relation with Buddhist religion， but simply refers to a self-centered and process-oriented life attitude. People in this air do things guided by their own interests at their own pace. They are free from strong emotions and firm obsession of the final results. In fact， the term was already used early in 2009， when it was defined as a Buddhist style：《百变千佛：亚洲三大流派佛教造像艺术》：“其中祖师系、佛系、菩萨系……构成了藏传佛教佛像的重要分类。”The headline “一座佛系建筑，让现代人重新感受宗教的力量” highlights the profound artistic features associated with Buddhism. 3.2 Connotative meaning
At the start， the term describes a casual and calm mindset toward career and life in a broad sense， which somewhat resembles Buddhism thinking. This low-desire and low-expectation phenomenon of the post-90s is a direct response to the rapidly-changing high-stress society. As is implied in“同学你什么系的？我佛系啊 —佛系思维是一种什么思维模式？”， “Foxi” here indicates a chill attitude. And “causal player” mentioned in“真正佛系玩家出现，究竟有多‘佛’你怎么都猜不到！”depicts the game players who play games for the sheer joy of getting involved， instead of aspiring to win. “Foxi” in“在英国乘坐火车，你会变得很佛系”is related to a calm and indifferent mentality towards the traffic condition in England.
Later， due to its frequent use and dissemination， the term has been applied to various contexts and has derived diversified connotative meanings. One the one hand， a positive overtone has been attached when it’s used to call for maintaining a peaceful mind， especially in tough or disappointing situations. “Foxi” in the headline“小学生佛系作文走红：不考哈佛北大，只要快乐就好”reflects a natural attitude toward ups and downs in academic learning. Instead of being trapped in high ambitions and pressure， the pupil is carefree and light-hearted， always able to seize leisure and keep inner peace despite the tight schedule. Another demonstration of this mentality is the headline“娛乐圈长年累月的互怼大战，产生的‘佛系粉丝’ 已经做到心如止水”， in which “Foxi fans” defines those who support their idols in a rational way. They no longer spread online rumors and exchange abuses to avoid conflicts. Besides， the phrase“佛系买家”refers to the buyers who can accept any purchase without complaint.“佛系乘客”refers to the kind of passengers who comply well with the regular social rules and go to the vehicle voluntarily and patiently， sending a signal to the driver：“You can just stay where you are; I will walk over.” On the other hand， its prevalence has witnessed negative implications. Some people hide behind the term， taking it as a shield of their indolence and inaction. In“遇上佛系员工，领导可要警惕了！”， “unmotivated employers” represents those neglecting and escaping their responsibilities and duties at work. As there is a kind of breezy lovers who don’t commit themselves to a romantic relationship for fear of making futile effort， there appear such comments as“佛系恋爱：不作不矫情，不记你生日，能接受吗？”. In“‘佛系’孩子你家有吗？”， “Foxi” portrays a slack lifestyle held by the aimless children who generally lack motivation and passion. In conclusion， the term is rich in connotative meanings， depending on the contexts. 3.3 Social meaning
After its birth， “Foxi” has been widely used on the Internet， especially in informal and colloquial entertainment news， microblog， forums and post bars. For example， the report“baby登杂志封面 慵懒‘佛系’气质也有高级感”in Dzwww.com creatively describes a natural， casual， indifferent yet elegant dressing style and temperament. The article“史上最佛系寻狗启示，这怕是找不回来了”in Sina Weibo shares in a playful tone several casual ways to find a lost dog. It is also deployed in advertisements and headlines on promoting websites to hit readers’ eyes as well as their pockets. A typical case is“买车真的不能太佛系了你确定知道吗”. Along its prevalence， the term has integrated into people’s life offline as a buzzword in daily conversation， such as“我佛了”（Whatever， I don’t care）.
Gradually the term began to be adopted in formal and even solemn registers， such as the news coverage and government addresses， marking the official recognition of this term. For instance， it appears in a financial report —“從佛系养蛙到佛系投资”. People’s Daily， not for once， comments on this subculture with remarks like“虽然佛系文化有它的价值，但是现在的年轻人也要有奋斗的精神”and criticizes the“Buddha-like officials”this way：“但是，若是党员干部在工作上也‘佛系’起来，把‘佛系’当成官僚主义、形式主义的‘挡箭牌’，可就要不得了。”This Internet catchword has also got its entrance into the NPC and CPPCC sessions， triggering discussion among deputies and members. One CPPCC member emphasizes that“政协委员：佛系文化影响社会发展”。
So it’s clear that this neologism can easily go with different types of contexts. The innovative use of its different written or spoken styles gives full play to its varied meaning on different social occasions.
3.4 Affective meaning
“Foxi” can vividly convey personal feelings and inclinations when attached with different connotative meanings. Its use as a complimentary word in this statement“佛系心态，角落里的花朵一样芬芳！”is a high praise of the pure breezy mindset. Unperturbed by unrealistic ambitions， people with such a perception avoid fussing over much trivia and thus stay away from hustle and bustle. The report“抗癌明星：听医生的话，做‘佛系’患者”applauds the cooperative patient who actively participates in the treatment. In the statement“谁不是一边自称‘佛系中年少女’，一边拼近全力生活着”， “Foxi”， a kind of self-mockery to savor relief， is regarded as an effective tool to ease anxiety in the face of harsh reality.
In contrast， “Foxi” can also be used in a critical tone. People’s Daily once criticizes“Buddha-like youngsters” for their passive and dispirited life outlook. It points out that young people by nature should be energetic， positive， passionate and curious. It is pessimistic to be indifferent and stay away from strong feelings and desires， for there are always significant issues that one needs to put his heart into. It stresses，“‘佛系青年’事事随大流，那只能是淹没于人潮、迷失掉自我”. One official states in a formal article that“要从作风建设上下功夫，力戒‘佛系心态’ ， listing the unacceptable “umbrella performance” under the blanket “Foxi”， in an effort to alert public servants. “Foxi” can also be used in a sarcastic tone. In the headline“‘佛系考研’引争议！……”， the bitter tone suggests the author’s disapproval of this behavior. 3.5 Reflected meaning
On some occasions， “Foxi” can remind people of its original meaning or other familiar meanings due to certain associations. In articles like“‘佛系’素食新品，搅动休闲食品大潮！”and“这样的‘佛系’食物，你们都有见过吗？（佛手瓜，佛手橘）”， “Foxi X” is used to define the Buddhist vegetarian food， and food that resembles Buddha’s hand respectively. However， the influence of its derived meaning as “Foxi” is so profound that it will promptly conjure up in readers’ mind. Endowing the key words with multi-dimensional meanings， such headlines are effective attention-getters. The same mode of application is presented in the following cases：“到这些‘佛系’酒店养养生” and “面条上印大悲咒，网友：这才是‘佛系面馆’！”These advertisements take effective advantage of the reflected meaning of “Foxi” as a novel method to draw in large crowds of customers by conjuring up both meanings in their minds （both “Foxi” and “associated with Buddhism”）.
On other occasions， the employment of the connotative meaning calls to readers’ minds its original meaning. In the article“‘佛系’穿衣五大特点”， the author doesn’t mean to give advice on dressing like a monk， but to indicate a simple but neat style. When the author uses the term for the first time， she builds connections between its two meanings， so readers can better understand its new meaning in light of its original meaning. Such a usage can also be seen in“‘佛系’ 和‘佛教’ 是一回事吗？” In“今天，你佛系了吗？”， “Foxi” is used as an a euphemism to avoid direct critical words such as “idle” or “slack”， for “Foxi” has a favorable reflected meaning of “Buddha-like”.
To sum up， the rich reflected meaning of “Foxi” makes it efficient to draw attraction， which further contributes to its rapid popularization.
3.6 Collocative meaning
The term was primarily used before “youngster”， implying that China’s post-1990s generation has discovered its own social identity as a group of adults with low desires and expectations. Under great pressure， the “Buddha-like youngsters” have seen through “the vanity of life” and choose to resign and let nature take its course. Their pet phrases are “fine”， “anyway”， “whatever”， “let it be”， “All right”， etc. These life attitudes are manifested in“佛系青年并不在意午饭是回家做还是吃外卖”and “破译‘佛系青年’背后的「在乎力」密码”. It can also collocate with other personal nouns like“佛系少女”. Along its dissemination， it is also used with place names like“佛系公司”. When followed by abstract nouns， it refers to a kind of mindset， like“新时代接班人的培养须警惕‘佛系思维’”. When followed by material nouns， it refers to a thing with certain traits， such as“佛系游戲”. It can also be used as an adverbial to form adverb-verb collocations. For example， “佛系养娃，二十年后孩子大多过得很辛苦”reveals a casual way of raising children. The employers who“佛系工作”claim to “ desire nothing more than to arrive at my office safely and to leave my office quietly.” In short， “Foxi” can flexibly combine with words of different parts of speech.
3.7 Thematic meaning
Placing “Foxi” in different positions of the same sentence can make different thematic meanings. Putting it at the start， the author regards it as the information focus and a means to go straight to the point. For example， the emphasis is clearly placed on “Foxi” （the essence of Buddhism） in the book title《佛系：如何成为一个快乐的人》. In contrast， when the sentence with a similar meaning is organized in this order：“如何做一个快乐的佛系年轻人？”， “Foxi” only functions as a general modifier.
Based on the thorough analysis above， it is found that the seven meanings classified by Leech are all embodied in “Foxi” on different contextual occasions. It’s hoped that this study can shed some new light on the research of network neologisms.
References：
[1]Leech， G. Semantics[J]. London： Penguin，1974.
[2]蔡亮，胡智文.基于语义知识库的网络语言演进机制构建方案[J].外语电化教学，2017，3：8-12.
[3]代宗艳.当代网络新词“佛系”的功用与形成[J].语言文字应用， 2018，3：87-96.
【Key words】neologism; meaning; Leech; Foxi
【作者简介】梁听雪（1997-），女，山东淄博人，中国地质大学（武汉）外国语学院本科在读，研究方向：英语语言文学。
1. Introduction
The neologism “Foxi” ， “佛系” in Chinese， which went rival and became a prototype for imitation， is a by-product of the uneasiness bred by the contemporary society in which rapid advancements and high demands are the order of the day. The classification of word meaning is of great significance to the semantic analysis of Internet neologisms， so this thesis aims to deeply explore the conceptual， associative， and thematic meaning of “Foxi” in various contexts in light of Leech’s seven types of word meaning. In order to have a close study， 46 pieces of linguistic data are collected from people.cn， xinhuanet， SOHU.com， IFENG.COM， NETEASE， and Baidu search engine. It is hoped that this study can help people better understand the complicated meaning and deep implication of “Foxi” and the social and cultural factors behind its emergence and popularity.
2. Geoffrey Leech’s Seven Types of Meaning
In Semantics， Leech （1974） makes a detailed categorization of word meaning. Conceptual meaning is the denotative meaning of a word. Connotative meaning refers to the intentional meaning that a word implies. Social meaning refers to the meaning a word conveys about the social circumstance of its use. Affective meaning conveys the feelings， attitudes and opinions of the speaker in linguistic activities. Reflected meaning stands for the meaning of the same word that can make listeners associate one sense of expression with another. Collocative meaning is a word’s meaning when it’s used with another word. Thematic meaning is the meaning expressed by the word order of a sentence or the emphasis attached to a word.
3. Semantic Analysis of “Foxi”
3.1 Conceptual meaning
“Foxi” was first introduced to Chinese readers in 2014 from a Japanese magazine that uses“仏男子” to depict a kind of young men who focus mainly on themselves and don’t bother to spend time with female friends. It was after this term is explained in a Wechat post《第一批90后已經出家了》that it truly hit the Internet and began to hold the attention of Chinese netizens. At that time， the term has no direct relation with Buddhist religion， but simply refers to a self-centered and process-oriented life attitude. People in this air do things guided by their own interests at their own pace. They are free from strong emotions and firm obsession of the final results. In fact， the term was already used early in 2009， when it was defined as a Buddhist style：《百变千佛：亚洲三大流派佛教造像艺术》：“其中祖师系、佛系、菩萨系……构成了藏传佛教佛像的重要分类。”The headline “一座佛系建筑，让现代人重新感受宗教的力量” highlights the profound artistic features associated with Buddhism. 3.2 Connotative meaning
At the start， the term describes a casual and calm mindset toward career and life in a broad sense， which somewhat resembles Buddhism thinking. This low-desire and low-expectation phenomenon of the post-90s is a direct response to the rapidly-changing high-stress society. As is implied in“同学你什么系的？我佛系啊 —佛系思维是一种什么思维模式？”， “Foxi” here indicates a chill attitude. And “causal player” mentioned in“真正佛系玩家出现，究竟有多‘佛’你怎么都猜不到！”depicts the game players who play games for the sheer joy of getting involved， instead of aspiring to win. “Foxi” in“在英国乘坐火车，你会变得很佛系”is related to a calm and indifferent mentality towards the traffic condition in England.
Later， due to its frequent use and dissemination， the term has been applied to various contexts and has derived diversified connotative meanings. One the one hand， a positive overtone has been attached when it’s used to call for maintaining a peaceful mind， especially in tough or disappointing situations. “Foxi” in the headline“小学生佛系作文走红：不考哈佛北大，只要快乐就好”reflects a natural attitude toward ups and downs in academic learning. Instead of being trapped in high ambitions and pressure， the pupil is carefree and light-hearted， always able to seize leisure and keep inner peace despite the tight schedule. Another demonstration of this mentality is the headline“娛乐圈长年累月的互怼大战，产生的‘佛系粉丝’ 已经做到心如止水”， in which “Foxi fans” defines those who support their idols in a rational way. They no longer spread online rumors and exchange abuses to avoid conflicts. Besides， the phrase“佛系买家”refers to the buyers who can accept any purchase without complaint.“佛系乘客”refers to the kind of passengers who comply well with the regular social rules and go to the vehicle voluntarily and patiently， sending a signal to the driver：“You can just stay where you are; I will walk over.” On the other hand， its prevalence has witnessed negative implications. Some people hide behind the term， taking it as a shield of their indolence and inaction. In“遇上佛系员工，领导可要警惕了！”， “unmotivated employers” represents those neglecting and escaping their responsibilities and duties at work. As there is a kind of breezy lovers who don’t commit themselves to a romantic relationship for fear of making futile effort， there appear such comments as“佛系恋爱：不作不矫情，不记你生日，能接受吗？”. In“‘佛系’孩子你家有吗？”， “Foxi” portrays a slack lifestyle held by the aimless children who generally lack motivation and passion. In conclusion， the term is rich in connotative meanings， depending on the contexts. 3.3 Social meaning
After its birth， “Foxi” has been widely used on the Internet， especially in informal and colloquial entertainment news， microblog， forums and post bars. For example， the report“baby登杂志封面 慵懒‘佛系’气质也有高级感”in Dzwww.com creatively describes a natural， casual， indifferent yet elegant dressing style and temperament. The article“史上最佛系寻狗启示，这怕是找不回来了”in Sina Weibo shares in a playful tone several casual ways to find a lost dog. It is also deployed in advertisements and headlines on promoting websites to hit readers’ eyes as well as their pockets. A typical case is“买车真的不能太佛系了你确定知道吗”. Along its prevalence， the term has integrated into people’s life offline as a buzzword in daily conversation， such as“我佛了”（Whatever， I don’t care）.
Gradually the term began to be adopted in formal and even solemn registers， such as the news coverage and government addresses， marking the official recognition of this term. For instance， it appears in a financial report —“從佛系养蛙到佛系投资”. People’s Daily， not for once， comments on this subculture with remarks like“虽然佛系文化有它的价值，但是现在的年轻人也要有奋斗的精神”and criticizes the“Buddha-like officials”this way：“但是，若是党员干部在工作上也‘佛系’起来，把‘佛系’当成官僚主义、形式主义的‘挡箭牌’，可就要不得了。”This Internet catchword has also got its entrance into the NPC and CPPCC sessions， triggering discussion among deputies and members. One CPPCC member emphasizes that“政协委员：佛系文化影响社会发展”。
So it’s clear that this neologism can easily go with different types of contexts. The innovative use of its different written or spoken styles gives full play to its varied meaning on different social occasions.
3.4 Affective meaning
“Foxi” can vividly convey personal feelings and inclinations when attached with different connotative meanings. Its use as a complimentary word in this statement“佛系心态，角落里的花朵一样芬芳！”is a high praise of the pure breezy mindset. Unperturbed by unrealistic ambitions， people with such a perception avoid fussing over much trivia and thus stay away from hustle and bustle. The report“抗癌明星：听医生的话，做‘佛系’患者”applauds the cooperative patient who actively participates in the treatment. In the statement“谁不是一边自称‘佛系中年少女’，一边拼近全力生活着”， “Foxi”， a kind of self-mockery to savor relief， is regarded as an effective tool to ease anxiety in the face of harsh reality.
In contrast， “Foxi” can also be used in a critical tone. People’s Daily once criticizes“Buddha-like youngsters” for their passive and dispirited life outlook. It points out that young people by nature should be energetic， positive， passionate and curious. It is pessimistic to be indifferent and stay away from strong feelings and desires， for there are always significant issues that one needs to put his heart into. It stresses，“‘佛系青年’事事随大流，那只能是淹没于人潮、迷失掉自我”. One official states in a formal article that“要从作风建设上下功夫，力戒‘佛系心态’ ， listing the unacceptable “umbrella performance” under the blanket “Foxi”， in an effort to alert public servants. “Foxi” can also be used in a sarcastic tone. In the headline“‘佛系考研’引争议！……”， the bitter tone suggests the author’s disapproval of this behavior. 3.5 Reflected meaning
On some occasions， “Foxi” can remind people of its original meaning or other familiar meanings due to certain associations. In articles like“‘佛系’素食新品，搅动休闲食品大潮！”and“这样的‘佛系’食物，你们都有见过吗？（佛手瓜，佛手橘）”， “Foxi X” is used to define the Buddhist vegetarian food， and food that resembles Buddha’s hand respectively. However， the influence of its derived meaning as “Foxi” is so profound that it will promptly conjure up in readers’ mind. Endowing the key words with multi-dimensional meanings， such headlines are effective attention-getters. The same mode of application is presented in the following cases：“到这些‘佛系’酒店养养生” and “面条上印大悲咒，网友：这才是‘佛系面馆’！”These advertisements take effective advantage of the reflected meaning of “Foxi” as a novel method to draw in large crowds of customers by conjuring up both meanings in their minds （both “Foxi” and “associated with Buddhism”）.
On other occasions， the employment of the connotative meaning calls to readers’ minds its original meaning. In the article“‘佛系’穿衣五大特点”， the author doesn’t mean to give advice on dressing like a monk， but to indicate a simple but neat style. When the author uses the term for the first time， she builds connections between its two meanings， so readers can better understand its new meaning in light of its original meaning. Such a usage can also be seen in“‘佛系’ 和‘佛教’ 是一回事吗？” In“今天，你佛系了吗？”， “Foxi” is used as an a euphemism to avoid direct critical words such as “idle” or “slack”， for “Foxi” has a favorable reflected meaning of “Buddha-like”.
To sum up， the rich reflected meaning of “Foxi” makes it efficient to draw attraction， which further contributes to its rapid popularization.
3.6 Collocative meaning
The term was primarily used before “youngster”， implying that China’s post-1990s generation has discovered its own social identity as a group of adults with low desires and expectations. Under great pressure， the “Buddha-like youngsters” have seen through “the vanity of life” and choose to resign and let nature take its course. Their pet phrases are “fine”， “anyway”， “whatever”， “let it be”， “All right”， etc. These life attitudes are manifested in“佛系青年并不在意午饭是回家做还是吃外卖”and “破译‘佛系青年’背后的「在乎力」密码”. It can also collocate with other personal nouns like“佛系少女”. Along its dissemination， it is also used with place names like“佛系公司”. When followed by abstract nouns， it refers to a kind of mindset， like“新时代接班人的培养须警惕‘佛系思维’”. When followed by material nouns， it refers to a thing with certain traits， such as“佛系游戲”. It can also be used as an adverbial to form adverb-verb collocations. For example， “佛系养娃，二十年后孩子大多过得很辛苦”reveals a casual way of raising children. The employers who“佛系工作”claim to “ desire nothing more than to arrive at my office safely and to leave my office quietly.” In short， “Foxi” can flexibly combine with words of different parts of speech.
3.7 Thematic meaning
Placing “Foxi” in different positions of the same sentence can make different thematic meanings. Putting it at the start， the author regards it as the information focus and a means to go straight to the point. For example， the emphasis is clearly placed on “Foxi” （the essence of Buddhism） in the book title《佛系：如何成为一个快乐的人》. In contrast， when the sentence with a similar meaning is organized in this order：“如何做一个快乐的佛系年轻人？”， “Foxi” only functions as a general modifier.
4. Conclusion
Based on the thorough analysis above， it is found that the seven meanings classified by Leech are all embodied in “Foxi” on different contextual occasions. It’s hoped that this study can shed some new light on the research of network neologisms.
References：
[1]Leech， G. Semantics[J]. London： Penguin，1974.
[2]蔡亮，胡智文.基于语义知识库的网络语言演进机制构建方案[J].外语电化教学，2017，3：8-12.
[3]代宗艳.当代网络新词“佛系”的功用与形成[J].语言文字应用， 2018，3：87-96.