Verbification of Brand Names in Computer-Mediated Communication: A Case Study of WeChat

Abstract

Abstract

This study examines the emerging verbification of WeChat through a combined analysis of dictionary entries, corpus data, and evidence from computer-mediated communication discourse. Major authoritative dictionaries currently include no verbal entry for WeChat, and the Corpus of Contemporary American English yields no authentic verbal examples, which demonstrates a clear lag between traditional lexicography and actual language use. In contrast, Google Books and social networking service platforms reveal scattered yet increasingly frequent verbal uses, especially in marked digital contexts. Semantic, morphological, and syntactic analyses show that the verb WeChat aligns with other denominal communication verbs observed in previous studies. Additional examples from headlines, titles, and other block-language environments suggest that the verb form WeChat is entering an early phase of lexicalization. Furthermore, the broader WeChat ecosystem—including WePay, WeTV, WeDoctor, and WeBank—indicates expanding semantic potential that may facilitate future verbal extensions. Overall, the findings highlight that WeChat is undergoing incipient verbification, driven primarily by innovation in digital communication practices and the evolving norms of computer-mediated communication discourse.