An Analysis of Cultural Connotations between Chinese and English Kinship Terms
Abstract
Chinese and English kinship terms belong to different types of addressing system. They are quite different in division, addressing and actual usage. It is widely known that kinship terms are closely related with tradition, national psychology, and political background. There exist many similarities as well as differences in terms of kinship terms between English and Chinese. It is the differences that render to a lot of problems in the course of inter-linguistic communication. From cross-cultural point of view, this thesis makes an analysis between these terms in English and Chinese, and discusses their differences and cultural connotations. The reason for the differences not only lies in linguistic factors, but also in cultural factors. Therefore, analyzing the differences from cross-cultural point of view is more helpful for us to communicate with each other accurately and smoothly.
Key Words: Chinese kinship terms; English kinship terms; differences; cultural connotations; analysis
摘 要
中英亲属称谓系统存在着很大差异，它们属于不同的称谓制度，具有不同的`称谓习惯，更蕴涵了不同的文化习俗。 众所周知，亲属词同文化传统，民族心理以及政治背景等有着紧密的联系。英汉两种语言的亲属词既有相同之处，也有很多不同之处。正是诸多不同点造成语言交流之间的困难。本文从跨文化角度出发，对中英亲属词进行了详细分析，探讨了中英亲属词的差异以及它们的文化内涵。它们之间之所以存在如此大的差异，不仅涉及到语言的因素，更包含了文化等更多更复杂的因素。因此，从跨文化角度来探讨问题，有助于我们更准确传达全部信息。
关键词：汉语亲属词、英语亲属词、差异、文化内涵、分析