Foreign words in Chinese

Author: Shi Youwei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-11-11
Features: Loanwords refer to words absorbed by one language from other languages. The history of Chinese absorbing loanwords is very long and rich. As early as the ancient times, Chinese absorbed many loanwords from the Xiongnu and the Western Regions, such as pipa (a musical instrument) and grapes. Now, Chinese contains a vast number of loanwords from various ethnic languages within China and foreign languages, with diverse absorption methods. This book provides a comprehensive discussion, exploration, and summary of many issues related to Chinese loanwords. It presents a comprehensive overview of the history and current state of Chinese loanwords from linguistic, cultural, and social perspectives, analyzes their nature, functions, and types in language, culture, and society, explores the future trends and standardization of loanwords, reviews the general research on loanwords, and proposes many new insights.