Product Code Database
Martian language (), sometimes also called brain-disabled characters (), is the nickname of unconventional representation of Chinese characters online by various methods. For example, "一個人的時候" ( yīgèréndeshíhòu, "When one is alone") can be changed into "ㄧㄍ人ㄉ時候" since the word ( gē) is consonant of and the word ( dē) is consonant of the word in bopomofo.
Martian language originated in Taiwan with the introduction of Chinese input methods and online games. It later began to catch on in mainland China when online games like Audition Online were introduced in China.
Characters used for substitution can include not only other Chinese characters, but also Latin script, bopomofo, hiragana, katakana, SMS language, Emoji, or other characters defined in Unicode. For example, "謝謝" ("thank you") can be replaced by , a similar sound of "thank you" in English. is commonly replaced with , as it has the same intended meaning in Japanese.
In pictograph characters, can express a deep sense of helplessness, frustration, or utmost sincerity, since it resembles the act of dogeza. Similarly, can indicate embarrassment because of its similar appearance to a human face.
Substituting characters by similar appearance may involve splitting Chinese radicals. For example, "强" (strong) can replaced with "弓虽". Substitutions can also use characters from another language or script. For example, can be understood as laughter since its simplified form, "厂厂", looks similar to , a common expression of laughter in Taiwan.
There is no universal way of encoding standard Chinese to the Martian language, though some substitutions are popular and have even leaked into standard and spoken language, such as (lit. river crab) for (harmony), (lit. leaf jade essay, also having the format of a person's name) for (advertorial).
Chinese online netizens later followed the trend of using Martian language since they found their posts written in the new language could more easily pass keyword filtering censorship. For example, when the censorship censored information about Ai Fen, the netizens used Martian language to deceive the censorship.
|
|
