Abstract: Internet catchwords, a popular language phenomenon, which spread in a certain period of time, has become an important topic of linguistics. Parody, as a language phenomenon, imitates and creates a fresh new form of preexisting language according to the speakers’ purpose of the language, and is widely applied in the Internet catchwords. Memetics theory, as a new discipline, has been concerned by scholars from its birth. In China, the development of memetics theory is relatively slow, and few research has been down on it. This paper makes a deep research on the parody of Internet catchwords based on the previous studies, analyzes the phenomenon of parody in Internet catchwords from a new perspective - memetics theory, taking Chinese catchwords as examples, so as to help to know the process and transmission of parody in Internet catchwords.  

  Key words: Internet catchwords; top ten Chinese catchwords; parody; memetics theory

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Literature Review-2

  2.1 A Review of Memetics Study-3

  2.2 Studies of Parody in Internet Catchwords-4

3.Theory of Memetics-6 

  3.1 Origin and Definition of Meme-6

  3.2 Memetic Study in Language-7

     3.2.1 Meme and Language-7

     3.2.2 Ways of Replication and Transmission for Language Memes-8

     3.2.3 Type of Language Memes-8

4. Memetic Analysis of Parody in Chinese Catchwords-9

  4.1 Analysis of Parody as Language Meme-9

  4.2 Analysis of Parody in Catchwords-11

     4.2.1 The Characteristics of Catchwords-11

     4.2.2 The Characteristics of Successful Memes-13

     4.2.3 The Generative Process of Parody in Catchwords-14

5. Conclusion-17

References-19