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Article

Open Access

Pragmatic Study of the Internet Buzzword "Huaxizi" From the Perspective of Memetics

Author(s)

HE Dan

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DOI:10.17265/1539-8080/2023.11.003

Affiliation(s)

University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China

ABSTRACT

This article based on memetics aims to reveal the communication mechanism and pragmatic function behind the spread of internet buzzword “Huaxizi”. The term “Huaxizi” became popular due to an online live sale on September 10th, 2023, and received widespread discussion. This paper analyzes online comments through the method of discourse analysis, and summarizes that the linguistic meme “Huaxizi” is affected by situational context, cognitive context of netizens, and surrounding social context, reproduced and transmitted through the four stages of assimilation, memorization, expression, and transmission, to possess pragmatic functions of questioning, self-mockery, and encouraging. This study helps to discover the development and changes of language itself, to understand the specificity and complexity, as well as universality and difference of language use. Besides, we can improve the online communication environment and guide Internet users to form a positive cognitive psychology, to promote the healthy dissemination of language.

KEYWORDS

Internet buzzword, memetics, pragmatic function

Cite this paper

US-China Foreign Language, November 2023, Vol. 21, No. 11, 443-448 doi:10.17265/1539-8080/2023.11.003

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