Gangnam star adds "style" to Chinese lexicon

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Press Trust of India Beijing
Last Updated : Jun 13 2013 | 3:20 PM IST
The "Gangnam Style" dance of South Korean singer Park Jae-sang, popularly known as 'Psy', which has become a major hit in China like elsewhere in the world has also added the word "style" to the Chinese lexicon.
The phrase pattern of "style" became well-known from Psy's music video of "Gangnam Style", which took the online world by storm in 2012, an official media report here said.
Also, the gestures by ground staff to signal the planes for take-off from the deck of the country's first aircraft carrier recently have gone viral with new word "carrier style".
Now, the phrase pattern is one of the most popular among Chinese, and can be heard even in the media from time to time, the state-run China Daily said.
Also, China's new first lady Peng Liyuan has created ripples adding "style" and glamour to her post.
Peng, 50, a celebrated folk singer and wife of President Xi Jinping who is getting a bigger media projection than any of her predecessors has generated "fashion styles" with her choice of dresses while travelling with her husband on high-profile tours abroad.
According to the 2012 Chinese Language Situation Report, released by the Ministry of Education some words that use the Roman alphabet became frequently used new words last year.
This expanded the repertoire of foreign words in the age-old Chinese language which has words of its own virtually for all modern utilities, making its extremely difficult for foreigners to communicate.
The word "style" is not the only case.
"H group", which describes a group of people who believe in and adopt a specific lifestyle, is also a term featuring a foreign language element that became popular in 2012.
The "H" stands for high, healthy, honest, harmony, honey, hope and handsome.
"These phrases are hot at present because they are new fangled and vivid, making people feel more interested in them," Han Baocheng, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University said.
"But 'hot' things will not last forever. They may become 'cold' one day because language is changing all the time and people may become fascinated by other new phrases," Han said.
Expressions such as "the Chinese dream", "beautiful China", "the voice of China" were also among the hottest terms last year, according to the report.
Others included, "the year of election", "London Olympics" and "the Syrian crisis", all of which reflect the ever changing international situation.
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First Published: Jun 13 2013 | 3:20 PM IST

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