However, with the expansion of cultural globalization, countries have more communications with each other, which makes the relationships between countries more closer。 As a result, linguistic taboos from each country are changing。 In this thesis, the author aims to summarize the main trend of linguistic taboos between Chinese and English on the basis of cultural globalization for the purpose of making it clear of the alteration of linguistic taboos in this two countries and improving the contact of the two countries。论文网

In this paper, author first shows the definition of linguistic taboos and the studies at home and abroad on linguistic taboos。 Then a general introduction of linguistic taboos, including the definition, origin and evolution, will be stated。 Next, by comparing Chinese and English linguistic taboos concerning topics and expletives, the writer arrives at a conclusion, which is the trend of linguistic taboos between Chinese and English。 The trend turns out to be the convergence, the loss of derogatory sense, and the obviousness of national traits。 Lastly, the writer will elaborate the enlightment of the study of the trend of linguistic taboos。

Cultural globalization refers to the transmission of ideas, meanings and values around the world in such a way as to extend and intensify social relations。 This process is marked by the common consumption of cultures that have been diffused by the Internet, popular culture media, and international travel。 This has added to processes of commodity exchange and colonization which have a longer history of carrying cultural meaning around the globe。 The circulation of cultures enables inpiduals to partake in extended social relations that cross national and regional borders。 The creation and expansion of such social relations is not merely observed on a material level。 Cultural globalization involves the formation of shared norms and knowledge with which people associate their inpidual and collective cultural identities。 It brings increasing interconnectedness among different populations and cultures。

2。 Literature Review

What is a taboo? Oxford English Dictionary defines taboo as: words likely to be considered offensive, shocking or indecent by certain people。 In Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture, the definition of taboo is a strong social or religious custom forbidding a particular act or word, or too holy or evil to be touched, named, or used。 And in Xinhua Dictionary of Chinese Language and Culture, the definition of taboo is that people offended by special words and action。 According to the author, a taboo is a vehement prohibition of an action based on the belief that such behavioris either too sacred or too accursed for ordinary inpiduals to undertake, under threat of supernatural punishment。

Linguistic taboo is a kind of taboo。 As a unique phenomenon of language and customs riching in social and cultural characteristics, linguistic taboo has a wide range of time and space, which is also the key point the author will discuss in this thesis。 A linguistic taboo refers to a word or expression that is prohibited by the “polite” society from general use。 In sociolinguistics, taboo, or rather linguistic taboo, denotes any prohibition on the use of particular lexical items to refer to objects or acts。 As language use is contextualized in particular social settings, linguistic taboo originates from social taboo。 When an act is taboo, reference to this act may also become taboo。 Taboo words and expressions reflect the particular social customs and views of a particular culture(Wang and Zhi 77)。

Early analyses on linguistic taboos from abroad integrated with anthropology, theology and ethnogeny all the time, and influential works include The Golden Bough, Totem and Taboo and Taboo, Truth and Religion。 The focuses of the three books are different from each other, but they all pay great attention to linguistic taboos。 The Golden Bough attempts to define the shared elements of religious belief and scientific thought。 The book Totem and Taboo deserves to be called the representative of this field。 It explains the reason of the emergence of taboo phenomenon。 Taboo, Truth and Religion has a deep study on taboo’s appearance, categories, significance and function, as well as the relationship between linguistic taboo and anthropology and psychology。