Do imported English words and phrases pose a threat to the purity of the Chinese language?

Many Chinese use instant messenger tools such as MSN or QQ, listen to music on MP3 players and log onto the Internet using ADSL — most without knowing the Chinese translation of these English abbreviations*.

But they don’t have to, as many English letters have become part of the local dictionary.

A dozen abbreviations including GDP, NBA, IT, MP3, QQ, DVD and CEO were among the 5,000 most frequently used words in the Chinese-language media last year, according to a report on the 2006 Language Situation in China, released last week in Beijing.

The report said some parents are so keen on English letters that a couple tried to name their baby “@,” claiming the sign used in e-mail addresses reflects their love for the child.

While the “@” is obviously familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word “at” to pronounce it — which sounds like “ai ta,” or “love him,” to putonghua speakers.

The study collected more than 1 billion language samples from newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and Web sites last year. The annual report is jointly compiled* by the Ministry of Education and the State Language Commission.

“Nowadays, more and more English abbreviations are being used in Chinese, making them an important part of the contemporary language,” said Hou Min, a professor at the Communication University of China. “The abbreviations have gained popularity because of the ease of usage,” Hou said.

For example, DNA is much simpler to use than its Chinese version “tuoyang hetang hesuan,” and “T xingtai” (T-stage or fashion catwalk) combines the English letter with Chinese characters to give readers a visual meaning.

“As more Chinese people have learnt foreign languages, especially English, in recent years, using abbreviations has become a trend among educated people,” she said.

Some language scholars fear such usage will contaminate* the purity of Chinese and cause confusion in communicating.

But Li Yuming, deputy director of the State Language Commission, said: “Chinese is a tolerant* language which can absorb every advantage from other languages.”

(SD-Agencies)