On the Emerging Usage and Semantic Evolution of Gang, an Internet Buzzword

Gang is primarily used as an adjective, noun, and adverb in modern Chinese language. However, in the emerging structure of gang X, the pragmatic scope has expanded beyond adjectival modification to broader contexts. Concurrently, the semantics of this structure has been generalized, and its evaluative meaning has been shifted. Furthermore, owing to influences from cognitive focuses, dialectal variations, and other factors, it has acquired verb-like properties in this structure. As a result, conforming to the principle of linguistic economy and reflecting the zeitgeist, the structure has been widely recognized and promoted by official and mainstream media through news reports and social media campaigns.