The Distribution of the Neology (Old Words with New Meanings) of the Verb “Shuā” (“刷”) and Its Outward Spread
1. Institute of International Chinese Language Teaching, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing 100083, China
2. College of International Exchange, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| Abstract: | With the advancement of technology and the development of new media, contemporary Chinese vocabulary is rich and colorful. One of its manifestations is the emergence of neologies (new meanings for old words) and the resulting large number of new vocabulary, which are frequently used and rapidly spread. This paper takes the verb “Shuā” (“刷”) as the research object, and based on BCC corpus, Zhongqing online corpus, and microblog corpus, explores the distribution of new meanings, core semantic elements, additional colors of “Shuā” (“刷”) and the cognitive mechanisms of semantic change, searches its overseas use through Chinese news corpus such as Xingzhou.com, Lianhe Zaobao, and Australia News, and summarizes the causes of the emergence and wide spread of new meanings. The study reveals that the verb “Shuā” (“刷”) has acquired seven new items. These novel senses are used far more frequently than the original one, with the item (6) showing the highest token frequency. The prototype remains ‘to clean or smear with a brush’. The item (6) combines both manner and purpose and is the only one to carry a derogatory connotation; the rest remain neutral. Metonymy and metaphor serve as the principal mechanisms driving this polysemous expansion. Externally, the new senses have achieved an 85.71% diffusion rate, spreading rapidly across registers. Their emergence results from the interplay of intra- and extra-linguistic factors: internally, pressures of linguistic economy and heavy reliance on context; externally, the convergent impetus of technological innovation, psychological preferences, and broader social dynamics. |
| Keywords: | “Shuā” (“刷”); Distribution of New Meanings; Core Semantic Elements; Overseas Dissemination; Origins |
| DOI: | 10.57237/j.cll.2025.06.001 |
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Received: 23 September 2025
Accepted: 6 November 2025
Published Online: 24 December 2025
Funding
| 1. | 2023 Beijing Language and Culture University Doctoral Research Start-up Fund Project (Fundamental Research Funds for the Cen-tral Universities) (23YBB29) |
| 2. | 2024 International Chinese Language Education Research Project for Young Scholars by the Center for Language Education and Co-operation of the Ministry of Education (24YH02D) |
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