Seller: “The style of this cloth is more suitable for you, Qin!”

Customer: “Qin, you say how much?”

The address form “Qin” was only used for people with close relationships, now the reference object of “Qin” has expanded, it can be used between relatives, acquaintances or strangers. In this example, the meaning of address form “Qin” is not the same with its original meaning, but it is the semantic extension that can achieve unexpected pragmatic effects in virtual transactions of network shopping or even in real transactions.

Social alteration causes contradictions between society and language, this contradiction reflects the inharmony between its surface and depth, it reflects the variational phenomenon on appellation, and thus it causes the chaos of generalization. The popularity of “Qin” is a very typical phenomenon of the generalization of address forms caused by address forms’ deletion. As we know, one of the characteristics of network shopping is fast. Whether merchants or consumers, the only they want to do is to reach a transaction by communicating in a short time, so they are not willing to waste time and energy in asking other information unrelated to the transaction. Another characteristic of network shopping is that businesses and consumers are unfamiliar with each other, they do not know other sides’ gender, age, occupation and other social factors. 

Customer: “Qin, is there any discount?” 

Seller: “Sure, come in.”

In this example, “Qin” can call any parties, no matter they are customers or sellers, no matter they are women or men, no matter they are beauties or handsome guys. Beauty and handsome guy are also typically generalized address forms. Beauty doesn’t only refer beautiful women, but it refers women of all ages, no matter they are beautiful or ugly. They turn marked words into unmarked words. Similarly, it is the same with handsome guy. Beauty is still used by the restrictions on gender, one of the communication parties can use this generalized appellation only by knowing others’ gender. The emergence of “Qin” just meets the desire of both sides. “Qin” can call any of the parties, whether merchants or consumers. Gender, age and other social problems need not be considered.