Abstract
“Center” (中) and “loyalty” (忠) are fundamental words in the Chinese language, with the latter deriving from the former. The early cognitive mechanism of the Han people, which transitioned “from spatial orientation to temporal concepts, from the concrete to the abstract”, played a fundamental role in driving the semantic derivation of the latter. After the emergence of “loyalty”, its meaning shifted from “sincerity” to “loyalty” within a very short period. The underlying force driving this change was the political-ethical belief in the “integration of family and state”, while its solidification was achieved through habitual collocations from morphology to syntax. In this regard, the ethical propositions and linguistic applications of Confucianism and Mohism exhibit a certain degree of divergence. Regarding the concept of “loyalty to the ruler”, Confucianism, which emphasizes hierarchical order, does not reinforce it in linguistic combinations. In contrast, Mohism, which advocates “universal love” and “elevating uniformity”, frequently employs it in written works, even solidifying the term “loyal minister” (忠臣) as a fixed expression. Once a strong linguistic collocation is established, it can shape value judgments that influence social consciousness, allowing people today to perceive the epistemological significance in the philosophy of language.
Key words
Center (中) /
loyalty (忠) /
etymology /
philosophy of language
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Cui Yingxian.
The Formation of the Philosophical Concept of “Loyalty” Through the Semantic Evolution[J]. Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning. 2026, 11(1): 87-96 https://doi.org/10.19689/j.cnki.cn10-1361/h.20260108
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