A General Study of the Semantic Differences Between Denotation and Connotationin Intercultural Communication

【Abstract】Denotation and connotation function as an array of antonyms in opposite meaning， and this expression is pervading our daily life. The denotation denotes the literal meaning of a word， in contrast to the feelings the word suggests while the connotation denotes an idea or feeling which a word invokes besides its primary meaning according to dictionary. They accompany us as a babysitter which deserve our meticulous research. The essay centers around four semantic situations of differences between denotation and connotation based on the intercultural communication.

【Key words】Intercultural communication; denotation; connotation; difference; deficiency

【作者簡介】李貴楓，南京師范大學(xué)仙林校區(qū)。

1. Connotational differences or opposite while the denotation is the same

This phenomenon is quite universalChinese and other languages like English， French， even Japanese which is under the same Sinic culture（Han culture）， under which， when the denotation is same， it means the literal and basically lexical meaning is identical. But the deep meaning it suggestsmay be totally different or even opposite.

The word “crow”， in Chinese， it implies the negative meaning of unluckiness， like the “crow mouth” or the sight of crow accidentally which refer to things we detest and avoid meeting. But in Japanese， the crow is a sacred god bird that symbolizes the love and filial piety. And in some southeast Asian nations like Burma， “the gold crow” is all over， for people believe this creature will bring them good luck and handsome wealth.

In Chinese， green isa color and people relate it to spring. But in English， it also has the connotation of immaturity， inexperience， gullibility and can describe someone who is pale or ill.Moreover， it can also indicate ones jealousy like the phrase “green-eyed”.

2. Partly connotational equivalence while the denotation is the same

Under this situation， part of the denotation of a word is identical or equivalent while the denotation is exactly the same. It manifests that the same part reveals the common pursuit in spiritual word and material word of different peoples while the different part suggests the individual differences based on the different culture， background， environment and so on.

Like the word “rose” in both China and western world， it symbolizes the beauty and affection， besides， in English the phrase “under the rose” denotes the meaning of doing something secretly in the dark. This meaning derives from a Roman ancient fable， in which Cupid sent a bouquet of roses to the mute god Harpocrdined ons， asking himnot to disclose his mother Venuss affairs to preserve her reputation.

As for the word “dog”， both inChinese and English， it denotes an animal among canine， and also refers to the connotation of some people who are inferior to you in status and the great friend like the phrase “dog friend” in China. But in English， its connotation is more plentiful than we can imagine， “the ugly women” and “mean person” are all involved while in Chinese it doesnt have this meaning.

3. Connotaional meaning in one language while lack of the counterpart in another when the denotation is the same

Due to the influence of different national culture， a simple word can have quite abundant meanings for us to associate while in another language it may be just a linguistic symbol with no additional connotation attached to.

An obvious instance to exemplify is the turtle， in the eastern culture like China， Japan and Korea， the turtle epitomizes longevity， luck and superhuman strength， and also serves as one of the four spiritual creatures. Thus many people will raise the turtle as a pet to prolong their lifespan. Meanwhile， turtle also symbolizes the weak image of a man who is infirm and incapable to manage an undertaking. The turtle has exceedingly abundant connotational meanings while inother countries， the turtle is simply a creature without any special attached meaning.The connotational meaning is quite multiple while the denotation is the same.

4. Lexical and meaning deficiencies in culture

Lexical and meaning deficiency is easily understandable and exists in every culture. Because every culture varies a great deal and has its distinctive history and path.Therefore， there must be some lexis and vocabulary which just exist exclusively in this culture. Thus there must the phenomenon of word deficiencies accordingly.

To be more specific， “the Legend of Zhen Huan” cant be a better example to illustrate. The various status and roles cant findcounterparts even in Korea and Japan which share a highly similar cultural background. How to translate “Guifei” and “Pin”？ Itsthorny for lexical and meaning deficiencies exist in culture. And this phenomenon is more common in China， because it ‘s the only ancient country that didnt experience culture dislocation and discontinuity among others.

5. Conclusion

the semantic differences between the denotation and connotation are far more than what Ive mentioned above， there are also some circumstances where the connotation and denotation are the same， and connotation is different while the denotation is the same. All these language phenomena display the broad horizon of the intercultural communication. And grasping denotation and connotation willcontribute to the overall improvement of language learning and benefit us a lot.

References：

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