On Acronyms in Chinese: A Prosodic Perspective

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Chinese Lexical Semantics (CLSW 2013)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 8229))

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Abstract

Acronym is one way to create new words on the basis of existing expressions, but it is required to meet the codes of a language and its natural rhythm. In Chinese, disyllable is the best unit in the prosodic model. In order to form disyllables, some information is even dropped out. The creation of monosyllabic and trisyllablic acronyms is limited. Monosyllables can appear only in disyllabic feet; while trisyllables only appear on the condition that the disyllabic words cannot meet ideographic requirement. Trisyllabic words have disyllablizing tendency. Few acronyms with four or five syllables can be found due to the fact that they go against the principle of economy.

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Luo, J. (2013). On Acronyms in Chinese: A Prosodic Perspective. In: Liu, P., Su, Q. (eds) Chinese Lexical Semantics. CLSW 2013. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 8229. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45185-0_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45185-0_24

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-45184-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-45185-0

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