New Terms for New Ideas: Western Knowledge and Lexical Change in Late Imperial China

Sinica Leidensia #52

by Iwo Amelung (Editor), Iwo Amelung (Editor), Joachim Kurts (Editor)

This volume is about the lasting impact of new (Western) notions on the 19th and early 20th century Chinese language; their invention, spread and standardization. Reaching beyond the mere cataloguing of the thousands of lexical innovations in this period of change, the essays explore the multiple ways in which initially alien notions were naturalized in Chinese scientific and political discourse. Topics examined range from preconceptions about the capacity of the Chinese language to accommodate foreign ideas, the formation of specific nomenclatures and the roles of individual translators, to Chinese and European attempts at coming to terms with each other s grammar. By systematically analysing and assessing the lexical adaptation of Western notions in Chinese contexts, the book will serve as a valuable reference work for all those interested in the historical semantics of modern China."

Genres: China

460 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2001

Reviews

[Yu · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great book. It contains various papers discussing the evolving of Chinese language from accent time to contemporary period.

It covers different domains including politics, physics, biology, chemistry, linguistics and so on. It also compares Chinese language throughout the history in parallel with Western cultures, such as Russian culture, German culture.

It illustrates a culture flow between continents with emphasis on late Imperial China. Also, it traces a translation evolution from late imperial China to modern China (P.R.C. time).

It gives readers a clear picture of how culture, language and ideas are adopted in China at that time.