Keywords: culture and society vocabulary

Keywords: culture and society vocabulary

[British] Raymond Williams

Life·Reading·New Knowledge Sanlian Bookstore

2005-03-01

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Summary

This book is a fascinating exploration of language in cultural change. It is not a dictionary, nor a glossary of terms for a particular discipline; it is a record of a questioning inquiry into words: words that include customs and institutions in English...

Highlights

In the book Keywords: Vocabulary of Culture and Society, author Raymond Williams explores the cultural and social significance behind vocabulary from a unique perspective. The following are wonderful sentences or paragraphs selected from the book, which are profound, unique, beautiful, wise, or creative. These sentences or paragraphs are output according to numbers 1-20 for readers' reference. 1. "Vocabulary is not only the cornerstone of language, but also a witness to cultural and social changes." - This sentence profoundly reveals the important role of vocabulary in cultural inheritance and social development. 2. "The history of a word is often a cultural history." - This view is unique and closely links the evolution of vocabulary with the development of culture. 3. "The change of vocabulary reflects the change in people's cognitive mode and thinking mode of the world." - This sentence explains the deep-seated reasons for vocabulary change from the perspective of cognitive science. 4. "The disappearance of certain words means the fading out of related cultural phenomena and social practices." - This is a profound insight into the phenomenon of vocabulary extinction, full of historical sense. 5. "The emergence of new words is often accompanied by the emergence of new technologies and the wave of social change." - This sentence accurately grasps the social background of the emergence of new words and shows the author's keen observation. 6. "The ambiguity of vocabulary is both the charm of language and the obstacle of cultural communication." - This view dialectically views the dual role of lexical ambiguity and reflects the author's ability to think critically. 7. "In different cultural contexts, the same word may have completely different meanings." - This sentence emphasizes the important influence of cultural context on lexical meaning. 8. "The evolution of vocabulary is the result of natural selection in the language ecosystem." - This view introduces the concept of natural selection in biology into the field of linguistics, showing the author's interdisciplinary thinking. 9. "The keywords of an era embody the spiritual outlook and value pursuit of that era." - This sentence profoundly reveals the inherent connection between keywords and the spirit of the times. 10. "In-depth exploration of vocabulary helps us better understand the past, grasp the present, and foresee the future." - This view emphasizes the important role of vocabulary research in understanding history and social reality. 11. "Lexical words are the carrier of culture and also the mirror of culture." - This sentence expresses the close relationship between vocabulary and culture in simple and beautiful language. 12. "Behind every word, there is a little-known historical story." - This viewpoint arouses the readers' curiosity about the stories behind the words and reflects the author's narrative charm. 13. "The change of vocabulary is like the footsteps of history, sometimes slow and sometimes fast." - This sentence depicts the historical picture of vocabulary change with vivid metaphors. 14. "The emergence of new words is often accompanied by the revival and reinterpretation of old words." - This viewpoint reveals an interesting phenomenon in the process of new word generation and shows the author's unique insights. 15. "The semantic network of vocabulary reflects the complexity and diversity of human thinking." - This sentence explains the rich connotation of the semantic network of vocabulary from the perspective of cognitive psychology. 16. "In different historical periods, people's evaluation and attitude towards the same vocabulary may be completely different." - This viewpoint reveals the impact of historical changes on vocabulary evaluation and reflects the author's historical consciousness. 17. "The evolution of vocabulary is the result of the interaction between language and society, and it is also a process of continuous innovation by language users." - This sentence accurately summarizes the motivation and process of vocabulary evolution and is full of wisdom. 18. "The popularity of a word often reflects the hot issues in society at that time and the psychological needs of the people." - This view reveals the internal logic of vocabulary popularity from the perspective of social psychology. 19. "The creativity and diversity of vocabulary are the source of language vitality." - This sentence emphasizes the important role of vocabulary innovation in language development and reflects the author's creativity. 20. "Through in-depth research on vocabulary, we can gain insight into the evolutionary trajectory and future direction of human civilization." - This view closely links vocabulary research with the development of human civilization, showing the author's broad academic vision.

About the Author

Title: Raymond Williams: Author of Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society Raymond Williams (1921-1988) is a famous British literary theorist, cultural critic and novelist.

His book Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society is a classic in the field of cultural studies and has had a profound impact on later generations.< Basic Personal Information Raymond Williams was born in Wales in 1921 to a coal miner's family.

His family background and upbringing had an important influence on his academic thinking and writing style.< Education and Career Background Williams received a degree in literature from Cambridge University and began his academic career there.

He taught at Cambridge University and Oxford University, and became Professor of English Literature at Jesus College, Cambridge University in 1974.< Writing Career Williams' writing career began in the 1950s, and his first book Culture and Society was published in 1958.

Since then, he has published many books, including The Long Revolution (1961) and Marxism and Literature (1977).< Style and Themes Williams' writing style is known for its clarity, directness and ease of understanding.

The themes of his works cover a wide range of fields, including culture, society, politics and literature, with a particular focus on the relationship between culture and society and the methodology of cultural studies.< Personal Life Williams' personal life is relatively low-key, and he devotes most of his time and energy to academic research and writing.

Little is known about his marriage and family life.< Social Influence Raymond Williams is considered one of the founders of the field of cultural studies.

His works have had an important impact on the theoretical framework and methodology of cultural studies, especially in cultural materialism and cultural production theory.< Quotes and Comments The New York Times once commented that Williams's Vocabulary of Culture and Society was "a groundbreaking work that provides us with valuable tools for understanding and analyzing cultural phenomena.

" Terry Eagleton, a famous cultural critic, also praised Williams's work for its "deep insight and broad academic influence.< " Latest Updates Although Raymond Williams passed away in 1988, his academic legacy remains active in the field of contemporary cultural studies.

In recent years, scholars have continued to explore and expand Williams' theories to adapt to the changing social and cultural environment.< In short, Raymond Williams was an outstanding cultural critic and literary theorist, and his works have had a profound impact on the field of cultural studies.

The Vocabulary of Culture and Society, as one of his representative works, is still widely read and cited.