摘  要: By analyzing Chinese and English loan words, this paper first points out that the extent of infiltration of both languages in terms of linguistics and culture. English loan words have great effect on Chinese culturally, linguistically and semantically. Many English words reflect in the latest technological and cultural development are borrowed by Chinese vocabulary. Tracing these words back in the Etymology way, we can find the influence brought by the English language culture to Chinese language culture. From another aspect, through analyzing words borrowed from Chinese in form in recent years, which are listed as new words in English dictionaries, and through exploring the Chinese tradition and culture these loan words mainly based on, this paper reflects that Chinese culture has affected English culture to a certain degree. With the rapid development of cultural communication, words borrowed are increasing and will be gradually included within the given standards. Finally the paper presents a discussion on the mutual influence of loan words and culture infiltration.

关键词s: etymology;  loan words;  culture;  infiltration

中图分类号：G633    文献标识码：A        文章编号：

I.        Introduction

As a cardinal means of cultural communication and exchange, languages can reflect various social aspects such as politics, economy, science, art, religion and daily life. “Culture could be defined as what a society does or thinks, while language is the realization of those thinking” (Sapir 223). With the conflating of different cultures, the development of one language calls for words borrowed from other languages, named load words. By studying those loan words in a language, including analysis of origin words and their translation, we may find how and how much the foreign cultures can contribute to the development of the local culture. This paper mainly concerns with the interaction between Chinese and English words and the cultural significance, or we may define it as culture infiltration.

II.     The Way Words Borrowed from One into the Other

1.Words Borrowed from Chinese into English

For Chinese students who learn English, studying load words and their origin can not only help having a better understanding on cultural exchange, but also know more about many language phenomenons (Wang Rongpei 381). In sum, there are three ways in which Chinese words are borrowed into English.

（1）Transliteration

Most of these words are translated according to their original pronunciations, generally based on Pinyin. For example, Pinyin itself is a typical loan word. Among those words some depend on Wade-Gilles Romanization such as Litchi, Confucius, and Typhoon

（2）Paraphrase

Some loan words keep their original word-formation, and they are generally translated word by word or even morpheme by morpheme. For instance, spring roll, open-door policy, and moon cake

（3）Combination of Transliteration and Paraphrase

In this way words are separated into two parts, half transliteration and half paraphrase. Also, sometimes we can just add the word China or Chinese in the front of an English word to make a borrowed word, such as Chinese costume or China town.

2.Words Borrowed from English into Chinese

Like other loan words in Chinese, loan words from English mean the cultural communication between two cultures. There are two ways to coin new words. One is creating a new one; the other is borrowing from other languages.

The first way is transliteration, too. In recent years, with English education playing a more and more important role in the Chinese basic education, a lot of words are loaded in this way, such as cartoon(卡通), vitamin(维他命) and bungee(蹦极). Another major form is to take the abbreviation directly. There are two conditions, totally abbreviated and partially abbreviated. For example, UFO and SARS are both totally abbreviated words borrowed from English into Chinese, whereas T-shirt (T恤) belongs to partially abbreviated words. The third way is paraphrase, such as hot dog (热狗) and generation gap (代沟). However, we should pay attention to some particular words. Take Sauna (桑拿浴) as an example, the translation is made up of a transliterated part and a paraphrase part. This is for easier understanding.

III. The Mutual Influence of loan words and Culture Infiltration

Language is the tool people use for social interaction, ideological communication and information transference. It is always associated with culture. Language reflects the culture, culture decides the language, and these two things are inseparable. The vocabulary is the most direct reflection of culture; the mutual load words phenomenon we can clearly see the infiltration and interaction between Chinese and western world.

First, loan words are a record of cultural communication. The way of cultural exchange varied. By studying loan words, you can see more clearly the different ways and approaches of cultural exchange.

Second, English and Chinese are borrowing and absorbing each other’s words, not only enrich their own culture, but also make a better understanding of each other’s cultural values, promoting the cultural diversity. Different cultures have both similarities and unique cultural elements. Exchanges between different cultures are bound to be achieved through the approach of language, leading to language contact. Language contact will inevitably lead to language borrowing, among which the most common way is words borrowed from other languages, that is to absorb and borrow vocabulary to enrich their own language. Because of the great stability of syntax of the language system, the cultural infiltration is mainly achieved through borrowing vocabulary. Meanwhile, exchanges between different cultures also promote language development.

In general, strong culture and language have a significant impact to the language and culture of the disadvantaged, and then infiltrated into its language system. As the world’s strongest language, English absorbed a lot of foreign words in the development. Although the English and Chinese languages belong to two different systems, English culture, on behalf of Western civilization, is bound to cause cultural conflict with Chinese culture which represents Eastern civilization in the process of expansion, resulting in Chinese absorbing a lot of English words and English absorbing a lot of  Chinese vocabulary. This shows that words borrowing are actually a concept or an act borrowing from another nation, country, i.e., cultural intervention. The more frequent the phenomenon of loan words occurs, the more cultural diversity this language carries (Bian Fenglian 398).

Third, loan words are the sign and proof of exchange between Western World and China of material, institutional and psychological culture; it is the inevitable result of cross-cultural communication. As the most important tool of human communication, language is the most important bond. With the society continues to develop, new things come up constantly, bringing the new appropriate language. As the most direct terms contacting with the social development, word is the most sensitive way to reflect social development, playing an important role in the historical witness.

At last, loan words further enriched the form of languages, bringing the languages into daily life. Since the Reform and Opening up, the loan words not only increase in the quantity, but also permeate from politics, science and technology through all aspects of social life. As soon as one gets an access to the media, he may find that the influx of a large number of load words in the language is adding language communication new vitality.

IV. Conclusions

From the foreign words in a language we can see the situation of a nation’s historical relationship and cultural exchanges with other nations. To some extent, the amount of load words is a sign of the degree a country opens itself. Language is the carrier of culture. Language and culture are interactive to each other as well. loan words in English and Chinese not only enrich their own language, but also enrich their own culture represented. From the form and content of load words, it is not difficult to find different languages constantly infiltrate into each other in the interaction and the process of mutual penetration. By studying the etymology of the borrowed word, we can trace back to the origin language, and through the comparison of language the cultural impact can be seen.

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