Studies of Set Expressions in Contemporary Chinese Linguistics: A Theoretical Review

Abstract

Introduction. The article deals with studies of set expressions in contemporary Chinese linguistics. Special attention is paid to the formation of the terminological system of Chinese paremiology, the description of the main types of set expressions, and the problem of correlating Chinese and Russian scholarly traditions. Goals. The study aims to analyze the terminological system of set expressions in Modern Chinese and to develop principles for their description within the framework of Russian-Chinese paremiology. To facilitate this, the article examines the main approaches to the study of Chinese set expressions, analyzes key terms of contemporary Chinese phraseology, and characterizes the main types of set expressions in Chinese. Materials and methods. The research material consists of culturally significant set expressions of Modern Chinese. The methodological basis of the study is the idea of the systemic nature of set expressions, including paremias. The research employs the comparative method, elements of cognitive-semantic analysis, a linguocultural approach, and interpretative analysis of set expressions from the perspective of intercultural description. Results. The study characterizes the main approaches to the description of Chinese set expressions, clarifies the correlation between the terms shuyu, xiyu, suyu, and yuhui, and identifies the core types of set expressions in Modern Chinese, including yanyu, chengyu, xiehouyu, and guanyongyu, as well as their peripheral types. The article proposes a unified metalanguage of Russian-Chinese paremiology, substantiates the possibility of using the term paremia as an umbrella concept for describing Chinese material in a comparative aspect, and formulates four principles for describing Chinese set expressions within the framework of contemporary paremiology. Conclusions. Chinese set expressions can be described within the framework of Russian-Chinese paremiology, provided that the specificity of the Chinese terminological tradition and the functional-semantic features of the material are taken into account. The development of a unified metalanguage contributes to a more accurate comparison of Russian and Chinese paremiological systems. The results of the study may be used in research on paremiology and linguoculturology.