The Semantic Trajectory, Characteristics, and Drivers of Popularity of Daofan Tiangang, the Emerging Buzzword

The new word daofan tiangang has gone viral on the internet through some short videoes. This buzzword has imitated from its homonym "daofan tiangang". It has three meanings: basic, figurative, and derived ones, which form a chain-like semantic trajectory. The semantic features of the word are reflected in its counter-expectation, subjectivity, intersubjectivity, and evaluative nature. Its emergence is attributed to two primary factors. The first involves intra-linguistic mechanisms, primarily parody, which manifests in metaphorical generalization and conceptual blending. The second involves extra-linguistic triggers, which stem mainly from societal psychology and social communication dynamics.