The tenacity of culture as represented by the Chinese color term Qing

Abstract

qing ('Greek Passage') is a very special and controversial color term in Chinese language and culture for the fact that it can refer to green, blue, or black depending on how it is used in collocation or context; it can be used as both a basic color term and mixed color term; in context it can be understood to refer to a certain color, but sometimes nobody can tell for sure what specific color it refers to; it can refer to color, but in more situations the understanding of it just goes beyond the perception of color, bringing about a vague but delightful feeling about the world in general. Basic as well as associative meanings of this term existed at the early stage of its creation, and these meanings can still be perceived in various situations in modern Chinese, used in much more extensive way. To a large extent, it has become a rather peculiar sign of Chinese culture, held so firmly, dearly and lastingly by the Chinese people. The case of qing serves as a typical example that reflects how the Chinese perceive the world.