A field method of studying the tropes in compliments to female representatives in the speech of Chinese youth

Tan Yue ORCID: 0000-0002-8542-6726 Postgraduate Student, Department of General and Russian Linguistics, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 117198, Russia, g. Moscow, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 6 240252540@mail.ru

Du Zihan ORCID: 0000-0001-6290-4206 Postgraduate Student, Department of General and Russian Linguistics, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia 117198, Russia, Moskovskaya oblast', g. Moscow, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya, 6 875669340@qq.com

IntroductionYouth speech, being one of the varieties of literary language, is "a lexico-phraseological subsystem of specific nominations and expressions, as well as phonetic tendencies and grammatical preferences of everyday youth speech" ^{[10, p. 11]}.

An important part of the speech of the younger generation is a compliment. which means "kind, pleasant words, flattering feedback" ^{[8, p. 288]}, that is, positive assessments of the qualities of the interlocutor, and in Chinese, "praise to please someone" ^{[9, p. 456]}. In general, a compliment is a kind of utterance with a subjective-evaluative coloring.

"Trope" is a significant term in stylistics and rhetoric, it means the use of words, phrases, and sometimes sentences in a figurative sense. Tropes include such means as metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, hyperbole, litota, etc. The definition of this concept demonstrates the close relationship between tropeic means and the semantic aspect of a word/phrase. In modern linguistics, the trope is considered as a model of the organization of the semantic structure of polysemy, in particular metaphor and metonymy, which reveal the relationship between the meanings of polysemy.

In connection with the above, the purpose of this work is to identify the semantic characteristics of lexical units of complimentary statements addressed to female representatives in Chinese youth speech, for which both field and comparative methods are used. The main materials in the study were dictionaries of youth slang, jargon ^{[2, 6, 7]} and Internet slang of Chinese and Russian languages ^{[1, 11]}, as well as electronic sources.

1. The concept of "semantic field" and the structure of lexical meaningThe concept of "semantic field" was first put forward by the German linguist G. Ibsen and was developed by J. Trier.

It means "a group of words that are closely related to each other in terms of content and, being interdependent, predetermine each other's meanings" ^{[3, p. 23]}. According to T.V. Mateeva, this is a set of actual linguistic units with semantic unity (a common seme or a group of semes) ^{[5, p. 266]}.

According to L.A. Novikov, sema is the minimum limiting component of an elementary value. At the same time, a lexeme and a sememe are the signifying and signified words of a lexico–semantic variant ^{[7, pp. 114, 116]}. A lexeme is a set of word forms (including various grammatical forms, etc.), a sememe is one of the variants of meaning in the context, the totality of which constitutes the meaning of lexical units. The totality of these forms the semantic structure of the sememe.

Sema has a non-linguistic nature, it can be divided into categorical-grammatical (grammeme), categorical-lexical (archiseme), differential, etc. ^{[4, pp. 33-34]}. Thus, in this study, we will divide compliments in the speech of Chinese youth with the use of tropes by categorical-lexical semes, resulting in 6 lexical-semantic groups (LSG – combining words of one part of speech, an integral part of the lexical-semantic field – LSP) containing mainly nouns and phrases with adjectives.

As presented above, the trope is closely connected with the semantic aspect of lexical units: metaphorical transfer is based on the similarity between two objects, metonymic transfer is based on adjacency. The selected LSGs allow us to analyze the initial objects of tropes, to identify lexical and semantic characteristics of tropes in youth speech.

2. Tropes in compliments to the female sex in youth speechIn the course of the study, compliments selected using the field method in the speech of Chinese youth with the use of tropes of 6 lexico-semantic groups are presented in six tables.

Table 1 – LSG "beauty"

In this group, there are metaphors based on the use of well-known literary images and historical figures, for example:, , .In the examples of and , such semes as [immortality], [magic] were ignored during metaphorization, only the semes [beauty] and [female] were transferred to the real lexico-semantic variants. The same thing is observed with the phrase : when metaphorizing, sema [performance] is ignored, and sema [popularity], [fashion], [beauty] are transferred.

Metaphors deserve attention both with the use of natural objects: , (parallels are drawn between the beauty of nature and the beauty of man), and on the basis of artifacts: (a beautiful girl is compared with a high-quality photo).

An important part of this group consist of orientational metaphors, in the terminology of John. Lakoff: , /,. All three words: (ceiling), (top) and (sky) are located in the highest place of a certain space and have a common seme [the highest]. In metaphorization, the position in space indicates the degree of comparison. Expressions in youth speech acquire semes [the most], [the highest]. The phrase "to contradict the will of heaven" has the meaning "to exceed the maximum", which in youth speech has the sema [very], [super]. At the same time, such semes as [most], [super], also exaggerate the degree of beauty of the girl. Thus, in these three examples, the use of hyperbole in the construction of a metaphor is observed.

In addition, there are examples in this LSG with the use of metonymy. In the example, the most noticeable attribute of the ancient beauty was emphasized, sema [beauty], instead of sema [the name of the figure], occupies a central place in the word.

In the example , there is a metonymization of the adjective: the word ? (correct) indicates facial features, and in this phrase a particular feature of the face is used to describe the appearance of a person as a whole, the meaning of the word ? is transferred to this [beautiful].

Table 2 – LSG "honey"

In this group, we note, first of all, a metaphor based on images: the images that transfer such semes as [mercy], [purity], to the impression of a girl.

In addition, there are metaphors based on human feelings: ,?. The word ? (sweet) compares the taste sensations with the impressions of a person, projects [a sweet feeling], [a feeling of happiness] caused by sweet foods on the perception of a girl. The word soft compares tactile sensations with the character and external signs of a girl and has a sema [cute].

Note that in the speech of Chinese youth, a cute attribute of a girl is associated with the word small (small). So, for example, in the examples of ?, ?, the word "?" describes the figure and age characteristics of a person, meaning [low height] and [small age]. In these two examples, the meaning of the adjective is transferred from a particular attribute of a person to the impression as a whole and acquires this [cute].

Table 3 – LSG "sexuality"

Examples in this group relate to metaphors of human feelings: in the word (hot), a person's subjective feeling about temperature is compared with an impression of a girl; in the word ? (sharp), a taste sensation is compared with an impression of a girl. Since a sexy girl causes a person to feel an acceleration of the heartbeat and an increase in temperature, these two phrases have a sema [sexuality].

Table 4 – LSG "attractiveness"

The main part of this LSG consists of metaphors of images:(mistress),/ ,/?, who project their semes [attractiveness], [beloved] on the girl. Interesting, in our opinion, in youth speech is the phrase (husband), which can also be used to compliment an attractive girl.

The remaining examples relate to natural metaphors and artifacts that compare the attractiveness of objects with the attractiveness of a girl.

Table 5 – LSG "good figure"

Metaphors of artifacts and natural phenomena make up the main part of this LSG. Note that A 4 ?, i 6 ?, and compare the shapes of objects with the figure of a girl. In particular, the phrases A4 ? and i6 ? transfer [limitation] by the width of the A4 sheet and by the length of the iPhone-6 screen to the [slimness] of the girdle / legs of the girl.

Example transfers this [hang clothes] to [any clothes are suitable] to describe the figure of a girl, and example - the main semes [slimness], [good figure] to the impression of a girl.

Another phrase, when complimenting a girl, exaggerates the length and location of the legs and emphasizes this [a good figure].

Table 6 – LSG "cool"

This LSG is characterized by metonymic transfers. The word ? describes the flexibility and vigor of a person's action, in youth speech it transfers a particular sign of action ^{[9, p. 1120]} to the impression of the girl as a whole, in the process of metonymization it acquires this [cool]. The same can be said about the word , which basically means despotic action ^{[9, p. 22]}. But when complimenting a girl, a sign of action turns into a sign of a person as a whole – this phrase has the seme [unusual], [cool] and [strong].

The word A (alpha) comes from the first letter of the Greek alphabet, in youth speech its sema [first place] replaces the central place, from this comes sema [leadership], [cool], [strong].

3. Comparisons with the materials of the Russian youth speechIn the course of comparing the semantic field of compliments to female representatives in the speech of Chinese youth, similar lexical units were identified in the speech of Russian youth.

Note that when referring to a girl in Russian, the words "goddess", "fairy" are also used to describe beauty. However, in Chinese culture and fairy in Russian are completely different images, which affects the images of the female sex in the two languages.

In Russian, the names of sweet confectionery products are also used when describing a cute girl, for example: Marmalade, nyamochka, as well as ,? in Chinese. In addition, in Russian they call a cute girl a doll, a chick, a Thumbelina, which also emphasize the girl's small stature, as well as in Chinese, although in these examples metonymic transfer does not play a major role.

When addressing a beloved girl, Russian youth uses the word "mamacita" from the Spanish language, meaning an affectionate address to mom. We believe that the process of metaphorization in such an example is similar in the expressions ,/ ,/? in Chinese.

In Russian, the word "model" is used to describe a fashionable girl, unlike in Chinese, with an emphasis on the fashionable aspect of this personality. At the same time, in Russian, the word "hanger" also describes a slender girl, as well as in Chinese, but with a negative coloring and therefore is not used as a compliment.

As in Chinese, when the first letter of the Greek alphabet is used to describe a cool girl, so in Russian there is an expression "alpha", which has almost the same meaning.

ConclusionBased on the above , the following conclusions can be drawn from the study of trails using the field method:

1. Compliments in the speech of Chinese youth are mainly aimed at assessing the beauty, attractiveness and figure of female representatives. Relatively few examples describe the cute, sexy and cool aspects of a girl's personality.

2. In most of the compliments in Chinese youth speech, there are hyphenations: metaphorical, then metonymic and hyperbole transfer.

3. A common metaphor in youth speech is the metaphor of images that models interpersonal relationships, as well as society, and then metaphors of natural objects and artifacts – all of them belong to the main types of metaphor: sociomorphic, naturomorphic and artifact. Metonymy is also revealed – the transfer of a particular attribute to the attribute of the whole object. Hyperbole in youth speech is relatively rare, some of them are formed on the basis of metaphor.

4. Among the tropes, we note non-linguistic factors affecting youth speech, such as, for example,, , reflecting the impact of pop culture of interest to young people. In the examples i6?,manifests the development of the technology of modern society; and the examples , ?,, ?A confirmed minor changes in the aesthetic perception of a female contemporary youth.

5. When comparing with similar lexical units in the Russian language, we note that the use of tropes in the youth speech of the two languages is characterized by both similarity and difference. The latter is mainly due to differences in the culture and values of the two countries.

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