Text in English / Underlying many formal approaches to linguistics is the fundamental, philosophical assumption that categories are discrete entities. This assumption also underlies two contemporary formal approaches to morphology which seek to account for the stress and distributional properties of derivational affixes in complex words. A study of these two approaches, the level-ordering and the category distinction approaches, reveals that both are faced with the same set of counterexamples in English. Specifically, they are faced with certain derivational affixes which display uncharacteristic distributional properties. In order to deal with such affixes the approaches resort to a variety of ad hoc mechanisms whose sole purpose is to save them from refutation. The argument offered in this thesis is that the problem with both approaches lies with the background assumption about categories which underlies their work. There is, however, an alternative conception of the nature of categories that has been widely supported by experimental research in the field of cognitive psychology, viz. that categories are non-discrete or continuous entities which are distributed along a continuum. In the thesis it is argued that, by adopting this conception of categories, a more adequate account can be given of the gradient differences between category members both inter- and intra-categorially. This argument will be illustrated with specific reference to affix categories in Afrikaans. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics)

M.A. / Emotive language is found is various sectors of grammar, and occurs'for instance in words, affixes, fixed expressions and certain syntactic constructions, and is, indicative of the speaker's emotionally charged attitudes or value judgments in regard to referents, or elements of the speech situation or participants in the speech situation. Certain figures of speech seem to be emotionally charged as well. Emotive language has clear formal or semantic correlates, and important parameters are the meliorative/pejorative scale and that of strengthening/weakening. In Chapter 2, which dealt with the morphological expression of emotion, certain affixes and types of compounds were found to play a part in marking language as emotive. It became clear that the diminutive suffix in particular played a major role, and was employed in expressing emotive aspects such as affection, admiration, ridicule, disdain, contempt, sympathy and mistrust. Compounds functioning as intensive forms or of the bahuvrihi type were moreover found to•be emotively charged. Chapter 3•dealt with the role of syntactic mechanisms in emotive language. While certain parts of speech, such as interjections, emphatic particles, degree words, forms of address and exclamations were found to be particularly prone to emotive expression, rhetorical questions, elliptical constructions and various kinds of repetition were also found to have emotive functions. In Chapter 4 the important part played by lexemes and fixed expressions in emotive language was investigated. Emotive words or expressions were found to contrast with neutral, i.e. purely referential, words or expressions in many cases. Modal adverbs proved to be an important carrier of emotive overtones, while the emotive sphere was seen to be enhanced by loans from languages such as English and Zulu. The role of figurative. language and certain figures of speech in particular in emotive expression, was studied in Chapter 5. The figures of speech which were considered, were metaphor, dehumanisation, hyperbole, comparison, sarcasm, synecdoche and irony. In Chapter '6 certain conclusions were drawn, such as the fact that emotive language may take on various forms and occur in various sectors of grammar and vocabulary. At the same time it is found in a spectrum of registers of Afrikaans, e.g. in novels, short stories, youth literature, magazines and even the language of the Bible.

Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie verhandeling word 'n voorlopige bestekopname van Afrikaanse ekosentriese komposita aangebied. Die korpus waaruit voorbeeldmateriaal geput is, sluit leksikografiese en akademiese werke, asook die spreektaal in. Na aanleiding van 'n komparatiewe bespreking van morfologiese, kategoriale en semantiese onderskeidingskenmerke van ekso- en endosentriese komposita, word daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die onderskeid tussen eksosentriese en endosentriese lekseme noodsaaklik is. Eksosentriese komposita word deurgaans bespreek as 'n prototipiese kategorie, met kern- en randelemente. Anders as by endosentriese samestellings, ontbreek 'n hipnimie-relasie tussen prototipiese eksosentriese samestellings en enige van hul konstituente. Alhoewel eksosentriese komposita uiteraard dubbelsinnig en semanties ondeursigtig is, is die ondeursigtighied gradeerbaar, vanaf redelik deursigtig tot heeltemal ondeursigtig. 'n Inventaris word aangebied van eksosentriese samestellings, soos dit verdeel kan word in subgroepe op grond van ontstaanswyses, semantiese kenmerke en strukturele kenmerke van die woorde. Ten slotte word die verdere studie van funksionele aspekte van eksosentriese komposita in die vooruitsig gestel. / Afrikaans & Theory of Literature / M.A. (Afrikaans)

Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie verhandeling word 'n voorlopige bestekopname van Afrikaanse ekosentriese komposita aangebied. Die korpus waaruit voorbeeldmateriaal geput is, sluit leksikografiese en akademiese werke, asook die spreektaal in. Na aanleiding van 'n komparatiewe bespreking van morfologiese, kategoriale en semantiese onderskeidingskenmerke van ekso- en endosentriese komposita, word daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat die onderskeid tussen eksosentriese en endosentriese lekseme noodsaaklik is. Eksosentriese komposita word deurgaans bespreek as 'n prototipiese kategorie, met kern- en randelemente. Anders as by endosentriese samestellings, ontbreek 'n hipnimie-relasie tussen prototipiese eksosentriese samestellings en enige van hul konstituente. Alhoewel eksosentriese komposita uiteraard dubbelsinnig en semanties ondeursigtig is, is die ondeursigtighied gradeerbaar, vanaf redelik deursigtig tot heeltemal ondeursigtig. 'n Inventaris word aangebied van eksosentriese samestellings, soos dit verdeel kan word in subgroepe op grond van ontstaanswyses, semantiese kenmerke en strukturele kenmerke van die woorde. Ten slotte word die verdere studie van funksionele aspekte van eksosentriese komposita in die vooruitsig gestel. / Afrikaans and Theory of Literature / M.A. (Afrikaans)

Text in Afrikaans / An account of certain functional aspects of Afrikaans exocentric compounds is presented in this dissertation. This study builds on the preliminary survey presented in the dissertation 'n Korpusanalise van Afrikaanse eksosentriese komposita (Van Niekerk, 2001). Exemplary material is obtained from an extensive corpus, consisting of lexicographical and academic matter, as well as colloquial spoken language. Language is man's primary means of communication, used to convey knowledge and information. Lexical items are used to name and refer to all kinds of concepts, aspects, objects, persons and other references. Of particular importance to this study, however, is the expressive functionality of language, whereby it is used as an instrument to voice affect, judgement, opinion, perception and other emotional aspects. Exocentric compounds are singled out as lexemes of particular importance, utilized by Afrikaans speakers/writers to express themselves referentially and emotionally. In this study the researcher has endeavored to describe and explain certain aspects of exocentric compounds in terms of the cognitive process of conceptual blending, as explained in The way we think by Fauconnier and Turner (2003). Exocentric compounding is highly functional with regard to etnobiological naming of botanic and zoological references, especially as bahuvrihi compounds. More prominent, however, is the use of compounds to voice a wide variety of expressive values and connotations, both positive and negative. Humor is constantly referred to as probably the most important function of exocentric compounds. Other expressive functional aspects of exocentric compounds are discussed, such as insult, scorn and ridicule in nicknames and slurs, the softening effect of euphemism in contrast to the intensifying effect of dysphemism, idiomaticity, irony, et cetera, some of these aspects overlapping significantly. Exocentric compounds are creatively used as highly descriptive expressions in the informal register of colloquial Afrikaans, as well as in different dialects and sociolinguistic varieties. Based on observations in connection with the diverse use and optimal functionality of exocentric compounds in domains of every possible kind, the conclusion is reached that exocentric compounds is an essential part of the Afrikaans lexicon. / Afrikaans & Theory of Literature / D.Litt. et Phil.(Afrikaans)

Text in Afrikaans / An account of certain functional aspects of Afrikaans exocentric compounds is presented in this dissertation. This study builds on the preliminary survey presented in the dissertation 'n Korpusanalise van Afrikaanse eksosentriese komposita (Van Niekerk, 2001). Exemplary material is obtained from an extensive corpus, consisting of lexicographical and academic matter, as well as colloquial spoken language. Language is man's primary means of communication, used to convey knowledge and information. Lexical items are used to name and refer to all kinds of concepts, aspects, objects, persons and other references. Of particular importance to this study, however, is the expressive functionality of language, whereby it is used as an instrument to voice affect, judgement, opinion, perception and other emotional aspects. Exocentric compounds are singled out as lexemes of particular importance, utilized by Afrikaans speakers/writers to express themselves referentially and emotionally. In this study the researcher has endeavored to describe and explain certain aspects of exocentric compounds in terms of the cognitive process of conceptual blending, as explained in The way we think by Fauconnier and Turner (2003). Exocentric compounding is highly functional with regard to etnobiological naming of botanic and zoological references, especially as bahuvrihi compounds. More prominent, however, is the use of compounds to voice a wide variety of expressive values and connotations, both positive and negative. Humor is constantly referred to as probably the most important function of exocentric compounds. Other expressive functional aspects of exocentric compounds are discussed, such as insult, scorn and ridicule in nicknames and slurs, the softening effect of euphemism in contrast to the intensifying effect of dysphemism, idiomaticity, irony, et cetera, some of these aspects overlapping significantly. Exocentric compounds are creatively used as highly descriptive expressions in the informal register of colloquial Afrikaans, as well as in different dialects and sociolinguistic varieties. Based on observations in connection with the diverse use and optimal functionality of exocentric compounds in domains of every possible kind, the conclusion is reached that exocentric compounds is an essential part of the Afrikaans lexicon. / Afrikaans and Theory of Literature / D.Litt. et Phil.(Afrikaans)