Modesty differs between historical and modern Chinese: A computational analysis of modesty metalinguistics

Abstract

Whether in studies of East Asian languages or in East-West comparisons, modesty has frequently been regarded as a traditional value held by the Confucianism-influenced ‘East’. However, using the tradition to explain modern speech behaviours raises the question of whether the understanding of modesty has remained the same over time. This study explores the metalanguage of modesty in historical and modern Chinese, to reveal what has indeed been inherited and what has changed in its understanding. It employs two computational methods, together with qualitative analysis, to examine corpus data where Chinese modesty lexemes, qianxu and qianxun, are used. Findings show that modesty remains to be a virtue and an interpersonal tactic at the abstract level over time. However, reciprocal and repeated practices of modesty, which were once ritualized in historical Chinese, largely ceased in modern Chinese. Self-effacement serves different sociopragmatic functions, and attention-avoidance behaviours are increasingly associated with modesty nowadays. More importantly, modesty in modern Chinese has been patterned with social qualities and practices that have not been identified in historical Chinese. The change reflects an influence of political propaganda in China.