A Cognitive Study on Naming Mechanisms of QQ Nicknames

Ma Jinge; Li Xiaolong

doi:doi:10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11

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A Cognitive Study on Naming Mechanisms of QQ Nicknames

Ma Jinge, Li Xiaolong

Published in Communication and Linguistics Studies (Volume 9, Issue 2)

Received: 11 April 2023 Accepted: 2 May 2023 Published: 10 May 2023

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Abstract

Language is the carriage of ideas. Social reality pushes the advancement of language, and language reflects social reality. As the world has entered into the Age of Information, people are exposed to digital screens and online social media. Nowadays, people, especially young people, lay great emphasis on not only their real-life individuality but also their online images. Among all the social media apps, QQ is favored by Chinese people for a long time with over 530 million accounts. With fewer requirements in making nicknames, the naming mechanisms of QQ nicknames provide an interesting perspective for cognitive and linguistic study. Nicknames on social media are regarded as a mutation of people’s traditional names, allowing people to extend their creativity and project their personalities on the nicknames. This research chooses the QQ nicknames of the Grade 2020 undergraduates at Hohai University as research objectives. To find out the feature of the nicknames of the target group and explore the naming mechanisms underlying the nicknames, first, the essay goes through previous studies on the naming mechanisms and absorbs related research experience, and second, establishes a theoretical framework that includes three models: Event-domain Cognitive Model (ECM), the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CM₁), and the Conceptual Metonymy Theory (CM₂). After collecting 255 QQ nicknames and establishing a closed corpus of the nicknames, this paper makes reasonable categorization for further study. To solve the rest of the research problems, a thorough analysis is made and two compound models are established. Results show that the QQNE+CM₁ Model is the most commonly seen naming mechanism of the target group. At the end of the paper, a discussion and evaluation of the entire research are done. This essay provides a new aspect for understanding the naming mechanisms of the young generation and may be conducive to further related studies.

Published in	Communication and Linguistics Studies (Volume 9, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11
Page(s)	20-26
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

QQ Nicknames, ECM⁺ Model, Cognitive Mechanism, Online Personal Identity

References

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[2]	Evans, V. & M. Green. 2006. Cognitive Linguistics: An Introduction [M]. Edinburg: Edinburg University Press.
[3]	Jia Yajiao. (2020). An Analysis of the Naming Mechanism of Celebrities’ Nicknames in the Tang and Song Dynasties Based on the ECMM Model from the Perspective of Cognitive Sociolinguistics (A thesis submitted to the Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English Language and Literature, Sichuan International Studies University) https://kns.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?dbname=CMFD202201&filename=1020962026.nh
[4]	KARDARAS, N. (2016). GENERATION Z: ONLINE AND AT RISK? Scientific American Mind, 27 (5), 64–69. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24945499
[5]	Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Conceptual Metaphor in Everyday Language. The Journal of Philosophy, 77 (8), 453–486. https://doi.org/10.2307/2025464
[6]	Lakoff, G., & M. Truner. 1989. More than Cool Reason: A Field Guide to Poetic Metaphor [M]. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
[7]	Langacker, R. W. 1999. Grammar and Conceptualization [M]. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
[8]	Lieberson, S., & Mikelson, K. S. (1995). Distinctive African American Names: An Experimental, Historical, and Linguistic Analysis of Innovation. American Sociological Review, 60 (6), 928–946. https://doi.org/10.2307/2096433
[9]	Perl, P., & Wiggins, J. L. (2004). Don’t Call Me Ishmael: Religious Naming among Protestants and Catholics in the United States. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 43 (2), 209–228. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1388123
[10]	THE ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION. (2021) What Are the Core Characteristics of Generation Z? What Are the Core Characteristics of Generation Z? - The Annie E. Casey Foundation (aecf.org).
[11]	Ungerer, F. & H. J. Schmid. 1996. An Introduction to Cognitive Linguistics [M]. London and New York: Longman.
[12]	Wang Yin. (2005). Event Domain Cognitive Model and Its Explanatory Power. Modern Foreign Languages (01), 17-26+108.
[13]	Watkins, S. C., & London, A. S. (1994). Personal Names and Cultural Change: A Study of the Naming Patterns of Italians and Jews in the United States in 1910. Social Science History, 18 (2), 169–209. https://doi.org/10.2307/1171265
[14]	Xiao Chenxing. (2021). A Cognitive Study on Naming Mechanisms of Chinese Green Tea Names (A thesis submitted to Foreign Studies College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Subject of English Language and Literature, Hunan Normal University). https://kns.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?dbname=CMFD202202&filename=1022428774.nh
[15]	Zhu Wenli. (2020). A Research on Charactonym Naming Based on the EMS+ Model: A Case Study of Call to Arms and Wandering of Lu Xun (A thesis submitted to the Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English Language and Literature, Sichuan International Studies University). https://kns.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?dbname=CMFD202201&filename=1020962025.nh

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APA Style

Ma Jinge, Li Xiaolong. (2023). A Cognitive Study on Naming Mechanisms of QQ Nicknames. Communication and Linguistics Studies, 9(2), 20-26. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11

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Ma Jinge; Li Xiaolong. A Cognitive Study on Naming Mechanisms of QQ Nicknames. Commun. Linguist. Stud. 2023, 9(2), 20-26. doi: 10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11

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AMA Style

Ma Jinge, Li Xiaolong. A Cognitive Study on Naming Mechanisms of QQ Nicknames. Commun Linguist Stud. 2023;9(2):20-26. doi: 10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11

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@article{10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11,
  author = {Ma Jinge and Li Xiaolong},
  title = {A Cognitive Study on Naming Mechanisms of QQ Nicknames},
  journal = {Communication and Linguistics Studies},
  volume = {9},
  number = {2},
  pages = {20-26},
  doi = {10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cls.20230902.11},
  abstract = {Language is the carriage of ideas. Social reality pushes the advancement of language, and language reflects social reality. As the world has entered into the Age of Information, people are exposed to digital screens and online social media. Nowadays, people, especially young people, lay great emphasis on not only their real-life individuality but also their online images. Among all the social media apps, QQ is favored by Chinese people for a long time with over 530 million accounts. With fewer requirements in making nicknames, the naming mechanisms of QQ nicknames provide an interesting perspective for cognitive and linguistic study. Nicknames on social media are regarded as a mutation of people’s traditional names, allowing people to extend their creativity and project their personalities on the nicknames. This research chooses the QQ nicknames of the Grade 2020 undergraduates at Hohai University as research objectives. To find out the feature of the nicknames of the target group and explore the naming mechanisms underlying the nicknames, first, the essay goes through previous studies on the naming mechanisms and absorbs related research experience, and second, establishes a theoretical framework that includes three models: Event-domain Cognitive Model (ECM), the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CM1), and the Conceptual Metonymy Theory (CM2). After collecting 255 QQ nicknames and establishing a closed corpus of the nicknames, this paper makes reasonable categorization for further study. To solve the rest of the research problems, a thorough analysis is made and two compound models are established. Results show that the QQNE+CM1 Model is the most commonly seen naming mechanism of the target group. At the end of the paper, a discussion and evaluation of the entire research are done. This essay provides a new aspect for understanding the naming mechanisms of the young generation and may be conducive to further related studies.},
 year = {2023}
}

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TY - JOUR
T1 - A Cognitive Study on Naming Mechanisms of QQ Nicknames
AU - Ma Jinge
AU - Li Xiaolong
Y1 - 2023/05/10
PY - 2023
N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11
DO - 10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11
T2 - Communication and Linguistics Studies
JF - Communication and Linguistics Studies
JO - Communication and Linguistics Studies
SP - 20
EP - 26
PB - Science Publishing Group
SN - 2380-2529
UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11
AB - Language is the carriage of ideas. Social reality pushes the advancement of language, and language reflects social reality. As the world has entered into the Age of Information, people are exposed to digital screens and online social media. Nowadays, people, especially young people, lay great emphasis on not only their real-life individuality but also their online images. Among all the social media apps, QQ is favored by Chinese people for a long time with over 530 million accounts. With fewer requirements in making nicknames, the naming mechanisms of QQ nicknames provide an interesting perspective for cognitive and linguistic study. Nicknames on social media are regarded as a mutation of people’s traditional names, allowing people to extend their creativity and project their personalities on the nicknames. This research chooses the QQ nicknames of the Grade 2020 undergraduates at Hohai University as research objectives. To find out the feature of the nicknames of the target group and explore the naming mechanisms underlying the nicknames, first, the essay goes through previous studies on the naming mechanisms and absorbs related research experience, and second, establishes a theoretical framework that includes three models: Event-domain Cognitive Model (ECM), the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CM1), and the Conceptual Metonymy Theory (CM2). After collecting 255 QQ nicknames and establishing a closed corpus of the nicknames, this paper makes reasonable categorization for further study. To solve the rest of the research problems, a thorough analysis is made and two compound models are established. Results show that the QQNE+CM1 Model is the most commonly seen naming mechanism of the target group. At the end of the paper, a discussion and evaluation of the entire research are done. This essay provides a new aspect for understanding the naming mechanisms of the young generation and may be conducive to further related studies.
VL - 9
IS - 2
ER -

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Author Information

Ma Jinge

College of International Languages and Cultures, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
Li Xiaolong

College of International Languages and Cultures, Hohai University, Nanjing, China

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APA Style

Ma Jinge, Li Xiaolong. (2023). A Cognitive Study on Naming Mechanisms of QQ Nicknames. Communication and Linguistics Studies, 9(2), 20-26. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11

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ACS Style

Ma Jinge; Li Xiaolong. A Cognitive Study on Naming Mechanisms of QQ Nicknames. Commun. Linguist. Stud. 2023, 9(2), 20-26. doi: 10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11

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AMA Style

Ma Jinge, Li Xiaolong. A Cognitive Study on Naming Mechanisms of QQ Nicknames. Commun Linguist Stud. 2023;9(2):20-26. doi: 10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11

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@article{10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11,
  author = {Ma Jinge and Li Xiaolong},
  title = {A Cognitive Study on Naming Mechanisms of QQ Nicknames},
  journal = {Communication and Linguistics Studies},
  volume = {9},
  number = {2},
  pages = {20-26},
  doi = {10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.cls.20230902.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.cls.20230902.11},
  abstract = {Language is the carriage of ideas. Social reality pushes the advancement of language, and language reflects social reality. As the world has entered into the Age of Information, people are exposed to digital screens and online social media. Nowadays, people, especially young people, lay great emphasis on not only their real-life individuality but also their online images. Among all the social media apps, QQ is favored by Chinese people for a long time with over 530 million accounts. With fewer requirements in making nicknames, the naming mechanisms of QQ nicknames provide an interesting perspective for cognitive and linguistic study. Nicknames on social media are regarded as a mutation of people’s traditional names, allowing people to extend their creativity and project their personalities on the nicknames. This research chooses the QQ nicknames of the Grade 2020 undergraduates at Hohai University as research objectives. To find out the feature of the nicknames of the target group and explore the naming mechanisms underlying the nicknames, first, the essay goes through previous studies on the naming mechanisms and absorbs related research experience, and second, establishes a theoretical framework that includes three models: Event-domain Cognitive Model (ECM), the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CM1), and the Conceptual Metonymy Theory (CM2). After collecting 255 QQ nicknames and establishing a closed corpus of the nicknames, this paper makes reasonable categorization for further study. To solve the rest of the research problems, a thorough analysis is made and two compound models are established. Results show that the QQNE+CM1 Model is the most commonly seen naming mechanism of the target group. At the end of the paper, a discussion and evaluation of the entire research are done. This essay provides a new aspect for understanding the naming mechanisms of the young generation and may be conducive to further related studies.},
 year = {2023}
}

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