Research Article
The Cultural Implication of the Internal Form of the Word ‘Areca Nut’ in Chinese Language
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.19-10-2021.2316589, author={Kumala Dewi Wundari and Su Xinchun and Fransiska Wiratikusuma}, title={The Cultural Implication of the Internal Form of the Word ‘Areca Nut’ in Chinese Language}, proceedings={Proceedings of the First International Conference on Literature Innovation in Chinese Language, LIONG 2021, 19-20 October 2021, Purwokerto, Indonesia}, publisher={EAI}, proceedings_a={LIONG}, year={2022}, month={3}, keywords={china; areca nut; cultural meaning; internal form}, doi={10.4108/eai.19-10-2021.2316589} }- Kumala Dewi Wundari
Su Xinchun
Fransiska Wiratikusuma
Year: 2022
The Cultural Implication of the Internal Form of the Word ‘Areca Nut’ in Chinese Language
LIONG
EAI
DOI: 10.4108/eai.19-10-2021.2316589
Abstract
Since ancient times, some countries have always had a special affection for ‘areca nut’, and China is no exception. The existence of the areca nut was closely related to the life of ancient Chinese people. As a plant culture word in Chinese, the word ‘areca nut’ has a solid national cultural connotation. This study attempts to discuss the internal form of the word ‘areca nut’, especially the pronunciation, and using the historical documents related to ‘areca nut’ to explore the cultural connotation of areca nut that once existed in China. Through the analysis of the Chinese word for ‘areca nut’（槟榔）, we can see that the name of a new thing invented by Chinese people before is not random but combines the objective meaning of things with the way of thinking of Chinese people. Modern Chinese people have completely changed their view of the ‘areca nut’ and their aesthetic values and consider that the areca nut chewers are not members of a good civilization. However, ‘areca nut’（槟榔） was still once a part of Chinese life. In addition, the Chinese word for ‘areca nut’ （槟榔）, from the perspective of internal form, has been in line with the expression of modern Chinese, which can also be seen as Chinese people who want to meet or achieve a better life of an expectation.
