A COMPARATIVE STUDY AND CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS OF RED IN CHINESE AND IGBO LANGUAGE 汉语与伊åšè¯­çº¢è‰²æ–‡åŒ–象å¾æ„义的异åŒç‚¹åŠå…¶å¯¹è·¨æ–‡åŒ–交际的å¯ç¤º

Abstract

Red is an ancient colour。Since it is the colour of blood, it is only natural that it is closely associated with blood. The colour red holds profound cultural connotations in both Chinese and Igbo cultures. This research aims to conduct a comparative study of the colour red with regards to its concept in Igbo and Chinese language. The differences and similarities will also be x-rayed. In order to make the influence of the colour red very evident, the research will employ a comparative and observational method. The theoretical framework is based on the colour-in-context theory proposed by Elliot and Maier(2012) which posits that due to both biological and cultural reasons, different colours elicit different psychological associations depending on the contexts in which they are encountered. This write-up brings up similarities between the two cultures to assert some level of ancient similarities between them. The study is significant as the knowledge of the implications of the colour red in both cultures is important in cross cultural relations. Instances of culture shock that would have arisen from these implications can be easily dealt with. It is the hope of the researcher that this paper will foster mutual understanding between the two cultures and open up avenues for further research.