A Study on the Network Catchphrases from the Perspective of Memetics

Abstract

Memetics is a new theory in linguistic research. It was put forward by Richard Dawkins in order to explain cultural evolutionism. Meme refers to imitation, replication and propagation, which plays an important role in language and cultural development. Memetics has already attracted many scholars’ attentions and has become more and more popular. With the thriving of the internet, netizens make changes in word selection and sentence patterns, so that meme is suitable for potential hosts. Network language is replicated quickly and disseminated widely, which influences people’s daily life. Therefore, the study of network catchphrase memes is valuable and meaningful. Memetics can explain cultural inheritance and language variation. It can also help people find the potential law of network language transmission. This thesis shows the characteristics of memes and network catchphrases respectively. Then the author analyzes the ways and factors of network catchphrases’ dissemination from the perspective of memetics, and discusses factors that affect the dissemination of network catchphrase memes. Therefore, the study on network language, especially catchphrases, has theoretical significance and practical value.