Abstract

Kinship terms are a kind of appellation as well as an important part of human appellation. Different language has different cultural background. Language is the carrier of culture. Therefore, kinship terms are the reflection of their national culture and cultural diversity. In this sense, a comparative study of Chinese and English kinship terms will undoubtedly display the differences between these two kinds of culture, which will be sure to improve the cross-cultural communication between China and West. To serve the purpose, the thesis first makes a brief introduction to kinship terms, including the definition and outline of English and Chinese kinship terms, then probes into the similarities from the perspectives of the linking function and semantic meanings, as well as differences between English and Chinese kinship terms from the aspects of blood and non-blood relationship, and finally tries to dig out the cultural roots that lead to the above similarities and differences. In a word, the thesis has made every effort to make a profound and comprehensive analysis of English and Chinese kinship terms, so as to promote mutual understanding as well as the bilateral political and economic development.

Key Words: language  kinship terms  cultural differences  cross-cultural communication

摘 要

亲属称谓语是对自己有亲属关系的人的称呼，是人类称谓语的重要组成部分。不同的语言有着不一样的文化背景。语言是文化的载体，而亲属称谓语是民族称谓语的反映。因此亲属称谓语是他们民族文化和文化多样性的反应。从这个意义上讲，中西亲属称谓语的对比研究无疑会显示这两种文化之间的差异，会改善中西方的跨文化交流，为这个目的服务，本文首先对亲属称谓语做了简要的介绍，包括亲属称谓语的定义和概要，然后从联系功能和语义角度等相似性及从血缘关系和非血缘角度等不同点进行探讨，最后挖掘出导致相似性和不同点的文化根源。换句话说，本文已经尽最大的努力对中西亲属称谓语做一个深刻而全面的分析，以促进相互了解以及两国政治和经济的发展。

关键词：语言 亲属称谓语 文化差异 跨文化交际

1 Introduction
Language, as the carrier of national culture, is a manifestation of the culture. They are inseparable, so the study of language means the study of culture. A case in point is the appellation, which is an important linguistic phenomenon and associated with society and culture closely. In another word, a study of kinship terms in different social contexts will help to explore characteristics of different types of culture, and thus to improve cross-cultural communication and understanding. Therefore, in today’s global context, the study is of great significance.