The difference of English and Chinese in Color Word 英语毕业论文.docVIP

The difference of English and Chinese in Color Word Abstract: color word is used to describe the color of object in language. Researching on color words is a bridge to know the problem of the relationship between the language and the cognition. There are differences in the use of color words between Chinese and English cultures. The different cultures bring different attitudes toward the same color because of different language habits, historical backgrounds, traditional customs and so on. The symbolic meanings of color words often have different features in different language cultures. This paper will distinguish from the Chinese and English color words including their functions and associative-meaning. It help us not only know the color words’ characters, but also learn more about the features of the two language. Key word: color word; culture ;language ; features; 1 ．Introduction For people all over the world the colors of the rainbow are the same, but this does not necessarily follow that people speaking different languages divide the color spectrum in the same way or use terms that designate the same range of hue. (戴炜栋，何兆熊，2002：134) Color is a part of our life. Color words help us to understand the world, like our sense of taste and smell. In our world, there are many kinds of color. These words are red, white, black, blue, green, yellow and so on. These words are used very frequently. The color words have specified meanings in different cultures. Without understanding of them, we will probably come across obstacles or make a fun of ourselves in communication. In cross-cultural communication, the meanings of color words embody lots of cultural values and connotations in languages which make the languages more lively, interesting, humorous, and warm. Therefore the most important things in using color words for us are to understand the cultural traditions, values, and customs. 1.1. The Definition of Color Words “Color in general, the a