THE CONCEPT OF 丢脸 (DIŪLIǍN, “LOSS OF FACE”) IN CHINESE LINGUOCULTURE: LINGUISTIC REPRESENTATION AND SEMANTIC STRUCTURE

Abstract

This study examines the concept of 丢脸 (diūliǎn) – «Loss of Face» – as a key ethnocultural and cognitive phenomenon within the Chinese linguistic and cultural system, with particular attention to its linguistic representation and semantic structure. The aim of the article is to clarify the internal organization of this concept within the Chinese linguistic worldview and to identify the principal patterns of its functioning in moral, emotional, and social domains.

The research is grounded in an integrated methodological framework that combines the analysis of lexicographic definitions with data drawn from the Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) linguistic corpus. These sources reflect different stages in the lexical-semantic and cultural interpretation of the concept under investigation. The analysis demonstrates that the concept of «Loss of Face» possesses a complex emotional and ethical structure, in which individual experience is closely intertwined with sociocultural expectations and collective modes of evaluation. 

The findings indicate that, in contemporary Chinese discourse, the concept of «Loss of Face» remains a significant component of the linguistic worldview, shaping perceptions of reputation, dignity, and social positioning, while also reflecting ongoing cultural transformations in modern Chinese society. The results may contribute to further research in linguoculturology, cognitive linguistics, psycholinguistics, and related humanities disciplines concerned with Chinese linguistic consciousness and traditional cultural concepts. 

Keywords: concept of «Loss of Face», Chinese linguoculture, linguistic worldview, corpus analysis, Chinese society, cultural values, psycholinguistic mechanism.