Course:ASIA319/2022/“Faint”（晕）
Introduction
The word faint (晕) has multiple meanings in Chinese contemporary pop culture and traditional culture. The original word “晕” was first discovered during the Shang Dynasty from the Oracle inscriptions.[1] The word has evolved to represent a myriad of things or conditions. In contemporary Chinese language, especially in pop culture, these different uses of the word faint(晕) appear in video games where the characters are stunned (晕住) in the game by character skills or ability, so they become "confused or disoriented”. Popular games like “League of Legends," or the mobile version “The Glory of the King(王者荣耀)"characters are stunned and immobilized as they suffer from vertigo – all of which are related to "faint"(晕). Moreover, its slang usage dates back to the end of the 20th century. The term I Fainted (我晕了) can be used in various ways, when one feels helpless or when one feels totally overwhelmed. In fact, the word has so many connotations that are derogatory, and one sees this usage in multiple social media scenes throughout contemporary China.
With the development of digital media, it works as a platform which allows all people to express their opinions freely in a new free and equal way. The individualism accumulated in real life and novelty mentality had been amplified by digital media. The network buzzwords refers to the new language that reflect social hot spots and social mentality in a language community of a certain period with the characteristics of folk, replicability, infectivity and variability[2]，which is they can make people easily understand the meaning, which also drives the psychology of imitation, and conducive to the spread of buzzwords. "Faint" in the amount of network buzzwords, it is a example of Semantic change way of producing buzzwords, mainly through the semantic transfer of "Faint", another concept clearly expressed sick words into a interjection word which without combination function and lack of practical meaning, in the simplest way, to express their own meaning.[3]
The genesis of the keyword
During the Shang Dynasty, 1600 – 1046 BC reading the Oracle Bones was a form of divination, and it was from these scapula bones that the word faint (晕) first appeared.[4] The Shang Dynasty was a period of warfare and unrest, so it is likely that people sought information concerning the future from the Oracle Bones. Since those times the word faint has taken on multiple meanings in Chinese. The original character for the word faint (晕) was made up of two parts with the top character meaning the sun, and the bottom character referring to military or war. The character that represented the sun during ancient times had a halo around the sun which symbolized an ominous omen. It foretold dark times ahead. Perhaps this helped leaders make decisions regarding battles or military strategies. For example, in 1600 B.C. Chief Tang of the Shang Dynasty defeated the Xia Dynasty at the Battle of Ming Tiao. The character that represented the sun during ancient times had a halo around the sun which symbolized an ominous omen. It foretold dark times ahead. This solar halo was also associated with the female – the Ying (阴), and the male – the Yang(阳) energy which was not compatible.[5] Again, it likely warned against marriages, relationships, or alliances which were deemed to fail according to the oracle’s use of the word (晕). Since those times the word faint has taken on multiple meanings in Chinese, which is evident on social media, the Internet, and in the various video games and anime that are now extremely popular in China.
Glossary of its explicit dictionary meanings
"Faint" was first discovered in the oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty. In Chinese, the specific pronunciation and meaning of "Faint" are somewhat different in different contexts. For example, when the tone is marked as the first tone, it is mainly used as a verb meaning of fainting and dizziness[6]. When it marked as the fourth tone, it is usually used as a placid. We can use it to refer to a halo formed by the sun or moon's light as it passes through clouds, such as "sunhalo" or "lunar halo." Or the blurry part around light and shade or color, such as the "ink halo"[6].
Basic Usage
晕(yun) is mostly used as a verb and noun to describe:
1.晕倒 (yūn dǎo)
English Meanings: collapsed, fainting, blacked out
2. 眩晕 (xuàn yūn)
English Meanings: swimmy, vertigo, dizzness
3. 晕车 (yūn chē) 晕船（yūn chuán）
English Meanings: car sick ,seasickness, motion sickness
4. 红晕 (hóng yùn)
English Meanings: Blush, Flush
5. 头晕（tóu yūn)
English Meanings: lightheadedness, faintness
Usage in Slangs
1.晕头转向（yūn tóu zhuàn xiàng）
English Meanings: carried away, bewildered.
Chengyu(成语): Being a type of traditional Chinese idiomatic expression, the word is commonly used almost the Chinese older and younger generations. 晕头转向defines as i am lost, don't know what to do type of situation.[7]
2. 我晕了（wǒ yūn le）
English Meanings: I Fainted.
Example: Catch phrase to express the feeling of being lost in various situations.
3. 头晕眼花（tóu yūn yǎn huā）
English Meanings: feel faint and vision blurred (see stars)
Chengyu(成语): Widely used as a catchphrase by the younger generation students to express the feeling towards school and homework, sometimes even used as an excuse to be absent.[8]
4.晕菜 （yūn cài）
English Meanings: Get confused
Origin："晕菜" comes from the Beijing dialect, which means finished “完蛋”. Later, "晕菜" was called "Vegetables with Vertigo Function" by netizens in the BBS network. [9]
Example： He 's so busy he feels a bit dizzy.
晕 in Chinese Popular Culture: Multiple Applications and Meanings
In the amount of network buzzwords, it is a example of Semantic change way of producing buzzwords, mainly through the semantic transfer of "Faint", another concept clearly expressed sick words into a interjection word which without combination function and lack of practical meaning, in the simplest way, to express their own meaning[3](Feng. 2015). Initially, "晕" was an action from a game call Stone Age, and It was gradually adopted by Chinese chatroom users and became popular in Chinese chat room culture. The word "晕" suddenly became one of the most frequently used words on the Internet. "晕" literally means a state of illness, such as fainting, dizziness, etc. In the present "晕" can be understood as a network catchphrase, which used to express their own subjective views or the current state, but has no practical meaning. "晕" only expresses the current state of their own, such as helpless, complain, depressed, disdain, do not understand, disappointment, grievance, indignation, regret and other emotional attitudes. [3](Feng. 2015). Example: (OMG as a meaningful translation of "晕" in Chinese)
Oh my God! The item I ordered online hasn't been delivered yet. -- To express anger, disappointment
Oh my God! I should have chosen A if I had known --Express regret, helpless
Oh my God! You can't walk without falling down-- express the emotion of do not understand,
Oh my God! It's me working overtime again -- a sign of grievance
Example of counterpart term or concept in other popular cultures
we can interpret “晕” as a interjection, since the “我晕” had been used as term to expressing one's own subjective opinion or current status in the beginning of sentence. Interjections are strongly independent, generally not as the main component of a sentence, and can be used at the beginning or end. The interjection does not have any actual meaning, but when we combine the context, it can fully express the author's emotion[3]. Therefore, interjection was not unique to the Chinese language, it is available in all different kinds of language.
English
- OH- To express surprise, criticism, pain, praise, annoyance, etc
- Oh My God-To express disappointment, surprise, annoyance, praise, etc
- Man-To express excitement,Contempt, impatience, attention
Chinese
- 啊-pronounced ā（the first sound in Chinese pinyin），it is usually used at the beginning of a sentence to express your praise
- 啊-pronounced á（the second sound in Chinese pinyin），it is usually used at the beginning of a sentence to express your surprise
- 啊-pronounced ǎ（the third sound in Chinese pinyin），it is usually used at the beginning of a sentence to express your particular surprise or disillusion
- 啊-pronounced à（the fourth sound in Chinese pinyin），it is usually used at the beginning of a sentence to express your shock
German[10]
- Mist- can be translated as “Damn” in english. used to show annoyance
- oh mein Gott-same as the OMG in English version.
- Scheiße-a strong version of Mist as i mention in above
Korean[10]
- 씨-발 (shibal)-can be translated as “FUCK” in english, but it is not refering to the sexual intercourse, but just a vulgar use of interjection.
- 세상에 (sesang-e) -Same as the OMG in english version.
Social, cultural, and political problems
The Original Meaning of “晕”
The denotation of “晕” has two pronunciations and meanings according to the modern Chinese dictionary; the first pronunciation is yūn, which means “dizziness” or “coma”; the second pronunciation is yùn, which means “motion sickness or seasickness, vertigo” caused by light and shadow.[6] The character “晕” began with oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty in China. Whereas the Internet terms “晕” no longer has the aforementioned common meaning, instead it means speechless or the feeling of not want to continue this topic.
我晕/我晕倒 “I Fainted” Social Image
The earliest term "我晕" comes from the games of the Stone Age, because players think this action is cute and lively, and is used by many players.[11] At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, Chinese online games were widely loved by young people, and many people use "我晕" to this day. A common way to use the phrase “我晕” is when the other person's words or actions make you feel unexpected or difficult to evaluate. In this case, the phrase “我晕” means speechless or helpless. For example, when you are very helpless and keep nagging, or when you think of a problem that makes your blood pressure rise, you can say “我晕”.
There are two social reasons behind the popularity of the term "我晕" in recent years. First of all, “我晕” means speechless. For example, when communicating a matter with others, you may encounter a situation where the other party does not understand the problem no matter how you explain the matter to the other party. In this case, one may use the phrase "I fainted”（我晕）, it does not mean that I really want to faint directly, instead it represents that I don’t want to deal with this matter anymore. In other words, it is a euphemism. In this way, you can directly avoid telling the other party that all my opinions have been told to you. In real life, there are always concerns in the communication between people, and they dare not express their emotions directly. In addition, this network vocabulary also becomes the link of the whole society. Use perfunctory and prevarication to express your emotions in a more tactful way. And this way of "foology”（糊弄学） has become a shortcut for young people's lives.[12] In a society that needs human affection for self-protection, using the "foology”（糊弄学） approach can take care of the other party's emotions, while communicate effectively with the other party in a decent manner, leaving room for maneuver. The increasing prevalence of "我晕" in society also reflects the product of the wisdom of digital life.
The mutual infection and suggestion of netizens' feelings
From a political perspective, words such as “我晕” and “晕菜” are Internet terms that cannot be found in the Xinhua Dictionary. Also, the word is very informal which appears odd when use in formal settings. For example, during a meeting at work, the boss asks a question, and the employee replies “我晕” and “晕菜”. This kind of speech not only highlights the lack of seriousness at work, but also the disdain for the boss and the indifference to the work tasks. From the perspective of communication, netizens treat online vocabulary with an attitude of trying or trying to play. This kind of behavior can make netizens' emotions affect each other. In the real society, netizens respond to social problems with perfunctory and prevarication, reflecting the withdrawal and indifference of netizens due to their frustration in participating in public events. Although many Internet words are produced for better communication, many Internet terms have different meanings from the word original meanings.
As a popular online language in the new era, "晕" vividly and vividly expresses the current state of one's own state when the other party's remarks or behaviors are shocking, unexpected and unreasonable. In any case, as long as things are not as expected and imagined, there will be "晕". But in fact, the problem is generally not that serious, but people are always accustomed to subconsciously exaggerating the image and reflecting it in the exaggerated emotions expressed in the spoken word. Janisse argued that in health psychology, when people express their current health situation or emotions to others, they tend to exaggerate in order to gain more sympathy and attention and expect equally exaggerated feedback emotions.[13] On the other hand, in modern popular culture, people use the mantra "我晕" in daily life to exaggerate how speechless they are about something or a certain behavior in their current state.
“我晕” VS “真晕”
Xinhuanet reported the experience of "晕" on the ocean-going scientific research ship and compared the mantra of contemporary young people "我晕" with the "真晕" on the scientific research ship in the Western Pacific.[14] It explain that in addition to appearing in contemporary popular culture, "晕" can also represent a physiological response. For example, the expedition team members who went to sea with the expedition ship said that they would feel "晕" when encountering relatively bad sea conditions. The general symptoms are that they can't get out of bed, can't eat, and vomit as soon as they eat. When they fainted, they even couldn't sleep at all, and they felt the stomach and intestines being thrown upside down, and the brain and body were separated. Although people often say "我晕我晕", but "真晕" on board is the real dizziness.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the current usage of "晕" in modern society cannot be understood from the basic meaning in dictionary, and its usage has become complicated and generalized now. For example, "晕" not only represents a physiological reaction to the uncomfortable symptoms of dizziness such as motion sickness, seasickness, airsickness, etc., but also represents a natural phenomenon such as ice halo and halo. In addition, "晕" can also represent something unexpected, helpless about a certain situation, troubled and depressed, and regret and fear of complaining. "晕" appearing as a verb or noun in the sentences during people’s communication, it also appears in video games as an interjection. People often refer to the reaction after being stunned by the skills of the characters in the video game as "我晕". "我晕" in chinese popular culture also has corresponding terms or concepts in the other popular cultures such as "OMG" in English, "Mist" in German, "씨-발" in Korean. "我晕" not only a mantra in people's daily life, but also plays a role in social and cultural issues. For instance, "我晕" can be used as a noun to fool when communicating with others. There are more and more objects that make "我晕", and the seriousness of the statement "我晕" has been greatly reduced, and the meaning of ridicule has increased. It can be seen that "我晕" has changed from an academic term for a physical illness to an internet term and a catchphrase in popular culture.
References
- ↑ China News. "晕".
- ↑ Gao, Yanning (2015). ""中国网络流行语的产生原因与文化解读."". 齐鲁师范学院学报,: pp. 117-121.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: extra text (link)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Feng, Suo (2015). ""我晕"的叹词化及功能考察". 文学教育(下): 132-133.
- ↑ Online Xinhua Dictionary. "晕".
- ↑ Tianqi Net. "日晕古代预示灾难发生 古代日晕代表什么灾难".
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Online Xinhua Dictionary. "The Original Meaning of "晕"".
- ↑ 成语大全. "晕头转向".
- ↑ 成语大全. "头晕眼花".
- ↑ Souhu. "晕菜".
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 L. N., GmbH. "Exclamations to shout in other languages".
- ↑ Online Xinhua Dictionary. "Network Language Of "晕"".
- ↑ 中国青年报 (2020). ""糊弄学"是年轻人生活中的快捷键".
- ↑ Janisse, Michel Pierre (1988). Individual differences, stress, and health psychology. p. 8. ISBN 978-1-4612-3824-9.
- ↑ Xinhua Net (2019). ""我晕"VS"真晕"".
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