A semantic analysis on the cultural implications of emotion words: Focusing on happiness and its verb collocations

This study analyzes the usage patterns of happiness through its collocational relationships on COCA (Corpus of Contemporary American English) with specific verbs: depend, guarantee, bring, come. The findings reveal that happiness is not merely derived from tangible achievements but is significantly influenced by social relationships, offering an alternative perspective to the traditional dichotomy of individualism and collectivism. The study also highlights the conceptual differences between happy and happiness, noting the potential oversimplification of happiness when these terms are used interchangeably. It suggests that happiness is more deeply connected to eudaimonic well-being, emphasizing the importance of understanding happiness as a pursuit of meaning and purpose in life rather than merely as an emotional state.