Comparison and Appreciation of the Extended Meanings of Basic Taste Words in Chinese and English
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DOI: 10.25236/icatpe.2020.001
Author(s)
Wu Juanjuan, Zeng Ya
Corresponding Author
Zeng Ya
Abstract
Language is the cultural carrier of a nation . Because of the similarity of the objective world, there are same taste words in Chinese and English. And the divergences make the different extended meanings of the four basic tastes (sour, sweet, bitter and salty) in the two languages in the evolution process . Based on the conceptual metaphor theory, this paper analyzes the similarities and differences of the extended meanings of these four basic taste words by comparing the specific definitions and entries in English and Chinese dictionaries, and summarizes the reasons, so as to further understand the differences between Chinese and English languages and cultures, and the commonness and individuality in thinking level.
Keywords
Taste words; Extended meaning; Sweet; Bitter; Sour; Salty