Do all words need to contain letters? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, maybe not. In 2015, an “emoji” was nominated as its Word of the Year. Specifically, it selected the crying-laughing emoji. This sparked a debate on whether or not emoji count as words. Evolving from character-based emoji, such as :) and :D, picture emoji became massively popular throughout the 2000s.
But can these little pictures and yellow faces actually be called words? Some argue that because they are not found in the dictionary, they cannot be considered words. However, slang words, many of which never appear in the dictionary, are seen as words. Others say that, because emoji exist outside conventional grammar rules, they are not words. However, as emoji are becoming more widespread, they appear to be developing their own grammar and usage rules.
Another argument is that they are merely pictures, not words. Many languages, such as Chinese and sign languages, use visuals to form their words. In that context, it’s very possible to describe emoji as words.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay 照片：Pixabay 提供
Some language researchers have put forth the idea that while emoji are not words, they might be viewed as a type of punctuation. Like commas, exclamation points and similar symbols, emoji help to convey the writer’s meaning and intentions. In addition, emoji add emotional nuance and take the place of facial expressions and tone when people are communicating through text.
While there is no definite answer overall, no one can deny the fascinating impact emoji have had in communication.
所有的單字都需要包含字母嗎？根據《牛津英語詞典》，也許不是！西元2015年，一個「表情符號」被提名為年度詞彙。具體來說，它選擇了「含淚大笑的表情符號」。這引發了表情符號是否算是文字的辯論。圖片表情符號從「:)」和「:D」等基於字元的表情符號演變而來，在整個西元2000年代大受歡迎。
但這些小圖和黃色的臉，真的能稱為單字嗎？有些人主張因為在字典中無法查到它們，所以不能將它們視為單字。然而，俚語卻被視為單字，其中許多俚語從未出現在字典中。其他人則表示，由於表情符號存在於常規文法規則之外，因此它們不是單字。然而，隨著表情符號變得越來越普遍，它們似乎正在發展自己的文法和使用規則。
另一種論點是它們只是圖片，並非文字。許多語言，例如中文和手語，都使用視覺元素來構成他們的文字。若在那種情況下，就很可能將表情符號描述為單字。
一些語言研究人員提出，雖然表情符號不是文字，但它們可能被視為一種標點符號的觀點。與逗號、驚嘆號和其他類似符號一樣，表情符號有助於傳達作者的意思和意圖。此外，當人們藉由文字溝通時，表情符號會增添情感的細微差別，並取代面部表情和語氣。
雖然整體來說沒有明確的答案，但沒有人可以否認表情符號在日常溝通中產生的迷人影響。
More Information
slang n. 俚語
punctuation n. 標點符號
exclamation point 驚嘆號
nuance n. 細微差別
Key Vocabulary
1. nominate vt. 提名；任命
Beth nominated her best friend for class president.
貝絲提名她最好的朋友成為班長。
2. evolve v. 演變；發展
Society’s ideas of what is right and wrong are constantly evolving.
社會對於什麼是對和錯的觀念不斷地在演變。
3. massively adv. 極其；非常；巨大地
The new online game is massively successful, with over a million players logging in every day.
那款新的線上遊戲非常成功，每天有超過一百萬名玩家登入。
4. conventional adj. 常規的；傳統的
In the early 20th century, painters like Picasso and Duchamp challenged conventional art.
在西元20世紀初期，畢卡索和杜象等畫家對傳統藝術提出異議。
5. visual n. 視覺元素；視覺效果
We used a chart as a visual to explain our experiment’s results to the rest of the science class.
我們使用一份圖表作為視覺元素來向科學班的其他同學解釋我們的實驗結果。
6. put forth 提出
The scientist put forth a new theory to explain why the universe is expanding.
那名科學家提出了一個新的理論來解釋為什麼宇宙正在擴張。
7. convey vt. 傳達；表達
Rocky has difficulty conveying his feelings; that’s why he acts so tough all the time.
洛基難以表達自己的感受；這就是為什麼他總是表現得如此不友善。
8. definite adj. 明確的；肯定的
The new software update has a definite release date, so everything must be finished by then.
這項軟體新的更新有明確的發布日期，所以每件事都必須在那之前完成。
9. impact n. 影響；作用
The company wants to know if its new advertising campaign has had any impact on sales.
這間公司想了解其新的廣告宣傳活動是否對銷售額有任何影響。
學習音檔: https://magazine.english4u.net/Magdata/menu/0o3lv
《空中美語》雜誌APP免費下載: https://www.english4u.net/apps/index.aspx
免費收聽當月《空中美語》雜誌課文朗讀及解析 !
文章由AMC空中美語授權使用: https://www.english4u.net
Historians are rethinking the way the Holocaust is being presented in museums as the world marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the last Nazi concentration camps this month. Shocking images of the mass killings of Jews were “used massively at the end of World War II to show the violence of the Nazis,” historian Tal Bruttmann, a specialist on the Holocaust, told AFP. But in doing so “we kind of lost sight of the fact that is not normal to show” such graphic scenes of mass murder, of people being humiliated and dehumanized, he said. Up to this
When people listen to music today, they typically use streaming services like YouTube or Spotify. However, traditional formats like vinyl records have regained popularity in recent times. Vinyl records are circular discs that store music in grooves on their surfaces and are played on a turntable. As the turntable’s needle runs along these grooves, it picks up vibrations and translates them into sound. The history of vinyl records dates back to the late 1800s, but material and technological challenges delayed mass production until the 1950s. Despite early versions having short playtimes and poor sound quality, vinyl records introduced a new era
A: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, known as “BJJ,” has become more and more popular. Even Hollywood stars like Halle Berry and Tom Hardy are obsessed with it. B: Some Asian stars, such as Taiwanese actor Eddie Peng and South Korean actor Lee Joon-gi, have also practiced this martial art. A: BJJ is not just a martial art, but also a combat sport. B: I’ve always wanted to try it, but I’m worried about getting injured. A: Diana Wang, a US doctor of physical therapy, is holding a BJJ seminar at PMA Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Taipei Friday night. Let’s go check out how we
Dos & Don’ts — 想想看，這句話英語該怎麼說？ 1. 能做的事都做了。 ˇ All that could be done has been done. χ All that could be done have been done. 註︰all 指事情或抽象概念時當作單數。例如： All is well that ends well. （結果好就是好。） All is over with him. （他已經沒希望了。） That’s all for today. （今天到此為止。） all 指人時應當作複數。例如： All of us are interested in his proposal. All of us are doing our best. 2. 我們這麼做有益於我們的健康。 ˇ What we are doing is good for our health. χ What we are doing are good for our health. 註︰以關係代名詞 what 引導的作為主詞的子句，動詞用單數。如： What he said is true. 3. 大家都沿著步道跑。 ˇ Everybody runs along the trail. χ Everybody run along the trail. 註︰everyone 是指一大群人，但在文法上一般用單數。 4. 桌上有一本筆記本和兩支筆。 ˇ There were two
RSS