A SEMANTIC ANALYSIS OF THE VIETNAMESE VERB “ĂN” AND ITS DEPRIVED EXPRESSIONS REFERRING TO FEASTS AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS

Abstract

This paper explores the semantic extension of the Vietnamese verb “ăn” (literally “to eat”), focusing on its usage in contexts related to attending social gatherings and ceremonial events. Drawing upon frameworks from cognitive linguistics and pragmatics, the study investigates how “ăn” transcends its basic denotation of consuming food to encompass a broader range of culturally significant activities such as weddings, birthdays, memorial ceremonies, festivals, and New Year celebrations. Through the mechanism of metonymy, “ăn” has evolved in Vietnamese to signify participation in communal and ritualistic events—where food is often central but not the sole focus. Expressions like “ăn cưới” (attend a wedding), “ăn giỗ” (attend a death anniversary), “ăn sinh nhật” (celebrate a birthday), and “ăn Tết” (celebrate Lunar New Year) illustrate how the verb has semantically expanded to reflect the cultural importance of feasting as a social and ceremonial practice. This semantic shift underscores the pivotal role of shared meals and banquets in Vietnamese society, where eating is deeply intertwined with social bonding, tradition, and etiquette. By analyzing authentic linguistic data and usage patterns, the paper maps out the semantic trajectory of “ăn” and identifies the cultural motivations behind its evolution. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of semantic construction in Vietnamese, offering valuable insights for comparative studies between Chinese and Vietnamese, as well as for cross-cultural communication and language teaching.