'Abbreviated nouns' in African languages : a morphological, semantic and lexicographic perspective
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Authors
Bosch, S. E.
Prinsloo, D. J.
Issue Date
2002
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
Abbreviated nouns , Zulu , Sepedi , Derivational prefixes , Lexicographic lemmatisation , Grammaticalised forms
Alternative Title
Abstract
This article focuses on morphological and semantic analysis as well as lexicographic treatment of a specific type of compound noun whose initial part is a so-called ‘abbreviated noun’, which in the case of Zulu is -so- or -no- and in Sepedi is ra- or ma-. It will be argued that these nouns have become grammaticalised forms which have lost their status as fully fledged lexical items, and have, through metaphorical usage and a subsequent process of desemanticisation, been reanalysed as grammatical units used productively to coin new words. A semantic continuum will be postulated representing the semantic range, or even shift, of these abbreviated nouns from the original meanings ‘father/mother of, as one extreme through’ owner of or ‘having special skills/characteristics’ to ‘occupation’ as the other extreme. Finally, various suggestions will be made for the alternative lexicographic treatment of transparent versus non-transparent forms, according to a transparency continuum.
Description
Citation
Bosch, Sonja E.; Prinsloo, D.J.2002.'Abbreviated nouns' in African Languages: a morphological, semantic and lexicographic perspective.South African Journal of African Languages,vol.22,no.1,2002.pp.92-104
Publisher
African Language Association of Southern Africa
License
Copyright © 2003 EBSCO Publishing
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
0257-2117