ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

This study aimed to analyze the current usage and meaning of the suffix “-ren:” when attached to roots or words, by utilizing big data. The word “children” originally conveyed respect toward young children. Recently, new words incorporating the suffix “-ren” have emerged in the media. Hence, this study aimed to explore how these words, derived by adding the suffix “-ren” reflect perceptions of children, their social status, and their cultural significance. For this purpose, we used text mining, a text analysis method, to examine articles from five major online media outlets and social networking services. The results show that words derived by adding “-ren” were used for information sharing, educational purposes, journaling, and self-reflection. The five most frequently occurring words were “gym-ren,” “golf-ren,” “tennis-ren,” “stock market-ren,” and “cooking-ren.” An analysis of the meanings of these words revealed that they were often used in a negative context, with 47% recommending restraint from using “-ren” because of its derogatory connotation toward children. Since the term "children" originally arose from a call to respect children, this study seeks to remind people of this meaning. It sheds light on the societal views regarding children, thereby encouraging positive perceptions.

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