Grass-Mud Horses to Victory: The Phonological Constraints of Subversive Puns

In 2008, Chinese netizens began creating subversive puns. These puns, including the well known “grass-mud horse,” were designed to engage in a satirical online movement against internet censorship of vulgar or politically sensitive words. By examining online subversive puns’ birth and development, this paper presents a phonological analysis of the growing Chinese internet lexicon. First, the relevant phonological features of the puns are identified, which underscore how the game plays with the inherent characteristics of Mandarin. Next, a series of rules or constraints are identified; these highlight both the formulaic nature of subversive puns as well as the flexibility of the language. Finally, using Optimality Theory as a descriptive tool, this paper explores the interaction of universal constraints with several possible new language game constraints. Through this examination, this paper identifies implications for Mandarin lexical access and Mandarin word form encoding.