Exploration into the Semantic Evolution of the Word "Zhong" in Henan Dialect and Chinese Traditional Thinking Patterns

Xiaoxin Mao; Guatpeng Ngoi

doi:10.63313/LLCS.9176

Authors

Xiaoxin Mao Department of Languages and Communication, Sultan Idris Education University(UPSI), Perak, 35900, Malaysia. Author
Guatpeng Ngoi Department of Languages and Communication, Sultan Idris Education University(UPSI), Perak, 35900, Malaysia. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63313/LLCS.9176

Keywords:

Henan dialect, Zhong, semantic evolution, Central Plains culture, Zhong-oriented thinking, Zhonghe philosophy

Abstract

"Zhong" is the most iconic core vocabulary in Henan dialect, serving multiple functions such as daily response, value judgment, and cultural symbol. This paper examines the usage of the character "Zhong" from oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty to literature of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties from a diachronic perspective, verifies the origin and inheritance of its meanings of "possible, feasible, and appropriate", and combines the Central Plains elegant language and the linguistic history view of "one source, three capitals" to reveal the intrinsic connection between the Henan dialect "Zhong" and the Chinese "advocating the middle" and "harmony" thinking. The study finds that the dialect usage of "Zhong" is rooted in the core location of Central Plains culture, and its semantic evolution is highly isomorphic with China's traditional worldview, outlook on life, aesthetic, and ethical pursuits. It is a typical example of regional dialects carrying the genes of Chinese culture.

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