Digital abbreviation in modern Chinese electronic communication (based on the material of Romantic discourse)

The article is devoted to the study of the phenomenon of digital abbreviation in modern Chinese electronic communication based on the material of romantic discourse. The author analyzes the mechanisms of formation of numerical codes that replace individual words, phrases, and whole utterances, due to the desire to save speech effort, the indirection of speech acts, and the cultural tradition of allegory. The relevance of the work is related to the lack of knowledge of this phenomenon in linguistics and the need for its inclusion in the practice of teaching Chinese as a foreign language. The main focus is on the homophonic principle underlying most digital abbreviations. Culturally determined meanings of numbers are analyzed separately, including the taboo nature of the number 4, associated with death, and its paradoxical use as an intensifier ("I love you to death"). The empirical basis was made up of chat texts, blogs, and news notes. In the course of the study, general scientific methods (observation, description, comparison, interpretation, and generalization) were used, as well as the linguistic and cultural method in describing the cultural context of digital abbreviation units. The scientific novelty of the article lies in a comprehensive and systematic description of the phenomenon of digital abbreviation, introducing new empirical material. The authors summarize the existing approaches to the definition of this phenomenon, clarify and systematize the conceptual framework, in addition, the authors show for the first time how the phenomenon of electronic communication is being transformed: digital abbreviation goes beyond virtual communication, becoming a cultural phenomenon. The dates of May 20 and May 30 acquire the symbolic status of days of recognition and registration of marriage, and sums of money in red envelopes (520, 1314 yuan) perform a performative function, replacing verbal signs. The authors conclude that digital abbreviation in Chinese is a unique phenomenon that combines linguistic compression, expressivity, and nationally specific symbols.