古代的中国社会是乡土性的,长期以来城市与农村之间没有明显的差别。清朝中叶以降,中国的社会变革日趋激烈,小农经济解体导致了传统乡土社会的瓦解。商业的发展扩大了城市与农村之间的差距,与城市的时尚、规矩格格不入的“乡下人”成了城里人看不起的对象,靠农业为生的“乡下人”是与土地融在一起的,于是“土气”一词逐渐由中性词转变成了贬义词。通过对“土气”词义及文化内涵的考查,可以折射出近代中国乡土社会解体的历史轨迹。 The ancient Chinese society was local, and there was no obvious difference between urban and rural areas for a long time. In the mid-Qing dynasty, the social revolution in China became increasingly fierce, and the collapse of the peasant economy led to the collapse of the traditional native society. The development of commerce has widened the gap between cities and rural areas, and is incompatible with the fashion and rules of the city. The “country folk” has become a despotic target of urban people. The “rural people” Melting together, so “rustic” gradually transformed from neutral to derogatory term. By examining the meaning and cultural connotation of “rustic”, it can reflect the historical track of the dissolution of the native society in modern China.