Semantic change is a phenomenon that has been subject to a lot of research during the past few decades. However, a large part of the existing research has been conducted with the goal of finding causes of change or creating typologies in order to classify different types of changes. The present study has been conducted with the aim to examine how a specific extra-linguistic factor has affected a select few words. The extra-linguistic factor that is the focal point of this study is the rapid technological change during what is known as the digital revolution. This essay explores how the digital revolution has affected the uses of four words: bug, web, mouse,and cloud. The first part of this study was a collocational analysis of these four words. The results of the collocational analysis indicated that changes occurred during certain time periods. A closer context analysis was performed for each of the words on the time period during which a semantic change was suspected to occur. The findings of this essay are that all the examined words have gotten new technological meanings during the past 70 years, thus exhibiting semantic widening. All four words are currently polysemous words. Replacive change, meaning a change in the primary meaning of a word, is only apparent in web. The remaining words keep their primary senses throughout the examined period, and the new senses are added as periphery senses. The trends in the usage of these words indicate that it is possible that more of them will undergo replacive change, however, it is too early to tell.

The process of language development is quite complex, it occurs under the interactions between diachronic derivation and synchronic derivation. This paper examines the development of Chinese language through the scope of disposal construction to provide evidence that diachronic and synchronic derivations could affect the development of a language simultaneously. From the progression of disposal prepositions in Mandarin based on historical documents, we can observe how diachronic derivation took place. Also, through diachronic derivation, it is safe to say that the earlier sentence structures can have an impact on later sentence structures. By comparing the disposal constructions between Mandarin and Min dialect, the syntactic characteristics and limitations present the possibility of synchronic derivation, which is the result of language contact. The findings of this paper demonstrates the features of language contact through the borrowing of disposal prepositions, and the similarities and differences between the syntax of disposal sentence structure of Mandarin and Min dialect.

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Current research into language change and evolution focuses on native varieties of English, Schneider’s (2007) settler strand, but we have little knowledge concerning diachronic changes in non-native varieties of English, Schneider’s (2007) indigenous strand. Such a theory must take into account language contact as well as theories pertaining to Second Language Acquisition. This dissertation describes the diachronic changes which occur in one feature of Black South African English (BSAE), namely the progressive aspect. Current synchronic research on BSAE suggests that the progressive aspect is overextended to include stative verbs. This dissertation aims to evaluate the value of this hypothesis, and determine whether there is evidence of this overextension in diachronic data. In order to observe instances of language change, a diachronic corpus of BSAE was complied. This corpus consisted of data from letters, fiction, and newspapers ranging from the 1870s until the 2000s. Using this corpus, analyses were performed in order to determine the frequency of progressive use, the distribution of aktionsart categories, and which temporal meanings were denoted by stative verbs and activity verbs used in the progressive aspect. These analyses were then repeated for data taken from the historical corpus of White South African English (WSAE), in order to ascertain whether changes in BSAE developed parallel to WSAE, or if it follows its own trajectory of change. One further analysis was conducted on BSAE: the aspectual categories of 71 state verbs were analysed in order to determine whether speakers of BSAE indeed do overextend the –ing progressive form onto stative verbs describing states and qualities. The results indicate that the frequency of verbs used with the progressive aspect increases for BSAE, but decreases for WSAE. The comparison of aktionsart distribution indicates that BSAE has a higher overall frequency of communication verbs and accomplishments, while WSAE has a higher frequency of activity verbs, verbs denoting the future, and stative verbs. Achievements are used as expected by both varieties. The analysis of the temporal meanings of stative verbs indicates that speakers of WSAE denote the prototypical short duration associated with the progressive aspect for 74.83% of the verbs, while BSAE uses an extended temporal meaning for 46.86% of the verbs, indicating that speakers of BSAE more likely to overextend the temporal duration of stative verbs than WSAE speakers. The temporal meanings for activities were the same for both varieties; the prototypical short duration is denoted by 77.83% of the total activities in BSAE, and 77.11% of the activities in WSAE. The extended duration in both varieties may be due to language change in general, while the additional temporal meanings for statives in BSAE are a result of substrate transfer. / MA (English)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015

Current research into language change and evolution focuses on native varieties of English, Schneider’s (2007) settler strand, but we have little knowledge concerning diachronic changes in non-native varieties of English, Schneider’s (2007) indigenous strand. Such a theory must take into account language contact as well as theories pertaining to Second Language Acquisition. This dissertation describes the diachronic changes which occur in one feature of Black South African English (BSAE), namely the progressive aspect. Current synchronic research on BSAE suggests that the progressive aspect is overextended to include stative verbs. This dissertation aims to evaluate the value of this hypothesis, and determine whether there is evidence of this overextension in diachronic data. In order to observe instances of language change, a diachronic corpus of BSAE was complied. This corpus consisted of data from letters, fiction, and newspapers ranging from the 1870s until the 2000s. Using this corpus, analyses were performed in order to determine the frequency of progressive use, the distribution of aktionsart categories, and which temporal meanings were denoted by stative verbs and activity verbs used in the progressive aspect. These analyses were then repeated for data taken from the historical corpus of White South African English (WSAE), in order to ascertain whether changes in BSAE developed parallel to WSAE, or if it follows its own trajectory of change. One further analysis was conducted on BSAE: the aspectual categories of 71 state verbs were analysed in order to determine whether speakers of BSAE indeed do overextend the –ing progressive form onto stative verbs describing states and qualities. The results indicate that the frequency of verbs used with the progressive aspect increases for BSAE, but decreases for WSAE. The comparison of aktionsart distribution indicates that BSAE has a higher overall frequency of communication verbs and accomplishments, while WSAE has a higher frequency of activity verbs, verbs denoting the future, and stative verbs. Achievements are used as expected by both varieties. The analysis of the temporal meanings of stative verbs indicates that speakers of WSAE denote the prototypical short duration associated with the progressive aspect for 74.83% of the verbs, while BSAE uses an extended temporal meaning for 46.86% of the verbs, indicating that speakers of BSAE more likely to overextend the temporal duration of stative verbs than WSAE speakers. The temporal meanings for activities were the same for both varieties; the prototypical short duration is denoted by 77.83% of the total activities in BSAE, and 77.11% of the activities in WSAE. The extended duration in both varieties may be due to language change in general, while the additional temporal meanings for statives in BSAE are a result of substrate transfer. / MA (English)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015

Le berbère est généralement présenté comme un ensemble de dialectes, distincts, avec des frontières plus ou moins hermétiques, qui, le plus souvent, sont étudiés et enseignés de façon clivée voire exclusive. Cette atomisation et cette pratique différenciative occultent l’unité structurale (grammaire et fonds lexical communs) qui forme cette langue commune à laquelle référent tous ces dialectes et n’en donnent qu’une vue fragmentaire.Le domaine de la lexicographie ne déroge pas à cet usage. Chaque dictionnaire est consacré à un seul dialecte avec une graphie et une orthographe propres, et c’est au plan du lexique notamment que le berbère apparaît le plus disparate. Pour aller au-delà du particularisme et appréhender la langue dans sa globalité, nous explorons, à travers le matériau lexical, un panel de dialectes (17) représentant toute la diversité berbère. Nous établissons, par approche comparative, des passerelles inter-dialectales puis rassemblons les éléments communs du lexique recueillis à ce jour. Nous relevons ensuite les changements phonétiques, phonologiques, morphologiques et sémantiques observés dans les unités lexicales afin de mieux comprendre l'évolution du système lexical.Pour ce faire, nous élaborons un E-dictionnaire bilingue (berbère <-> français) qui permet, en tant qu’outil didactique, d’étudier la langue berbère aussi bien dans son unité que dans sa diversité dialectale, et en tant que moyen heuristique de recherche et d'analyse, d’étudier l’étymologie et les faits linguistiques en synchronie et en diachronie.Enfin, nous proposons un outil statistique (le « taux d’homogénéité ») qui mesure la proximité entre les lexiques (ou dialectes). / The Berber language is usually presented as a set of distinct dialects, with more or less hermetic boundaries, which are, most often, studied and taught in a cleaved or even exclusive way.This atomization and this differentiating practice obscure the structural unity (grammar and lexical bases) which founds that common language to which all these dialects refer and give only a fragmentary view of it. The field of lexicography does not depart from this usage. Each dictionary is devoted to a single dialect with a specific spelling, and it is in the lexicon in particular that Berber appears the most disparate.To go beyond particularism and grasp the language as a whole, we explore, through the lexical material, a panel of dialects (17) representing all of Berber diversity. We establish, by comparative approach, inter-dialectal bridges and then gather the common elements of the lexicon collected to date. We then note the phonetic, phonological, morphological and semantic changes observed in lexical units in order to better understand the evolution of the lexical system.To do this, we develop a bilingual E-dictionary (Berber <-> French) which allows - as a didactic tool - for the studying of the Berber language in its unity as well as in its dialectal diversity and - as a heuristic means of research and analysis - for etymology and linguistics facts in synchrony and diachrony.Finally, we introduce a statistical tool (the “homogeneity rate”) that measures the proximity between lexicons (or dialects).

Descriptive perception verbs have failed to receive a uniform analysis in previous verb classifications (cf. Chomsky 1965, Rogers 1974, Hengeveld 1992, Levin 1993, Van Eynde et al. 2014). This thesis argues that the descriptive perception verbs in Dutch (i.e. eruitzien 'look', klinken 'sound', voelen 'feel', ruiken 'smell', and smaken 'taste') should be classified as copular verbs, much like lijken 'seem' and schijnen 'seem'. This classification is supported by both the synchronic and diachronic behaviour of these verbs in Dutch. Synchronically, proposing that Germanic copular verbs (as opposed to copulas) are defined by their syntax rather than their (empty) semantics, I discuss that the Dutch descriptive perception verbs behave like stereotypical copular verbs: they require a predicative complement, usually in the form of an adjective. Semantically, the Dutch descriptive perception verbs are much like the copular verbs blijken 'turn out', lijken 'seem' and schijnen 'seem' in terms of epistemicity and evidentiality. Diachronically, I hypothesize that the Dutch descriptive perception verbs have evolved from one of the following two origins: either from intransitive verbs (as is the case for klinken and ruiken), much like English remain, through grammaticalization processes of semantic bleaching and reanalysis; or from cognitive perception verbs (as is the case of eruitzien and voelen), as found in Latin, Japanese and Zulu, through the process of argument reordering. The origin of smaken is not clear, and is left for future research. I show that other Germanic evidential copular verbs (i.e. lijken, schijnen 'seem', scheinen 'seem', seem) have developed diachronically in a uniform fashion, suggesting the following grammaticalization path: from a lexical verb to a copular verb, to taking a that-complement, an infinitival complement or a like-complement, and eventually being used in parenthetical constructions. The results of this thesis indicate that the Dutch descriptive perception verbs are only at the beginning of this grammaticalization path, but are on their way to becoming grammaticalized evidential copular verbs.

Esta dissertação é principalmente um estudo de Etimologia; porém, tem um caráter interdisciplinar, pois nos valhamos de outros estudos linguísticos, como a Morfologia, Fonologia, Linguística Histórica, Semântica, assim como os Estudos de Tradução e de Filologia. O objetivo desta dissertação é analisar a etimologia de alguns elementos lexicais terminados em -ção, que têm cognatas em -sjon no norueguês. Estes elementos são atribuídos aos chamados internacionalismos que, por sua vez, integram o conjunto de empréstimos na língua. Para analisar a etimologia de cada uma das palavras da amostragem, pesquisamos o terminus a quo de cada cognata, tanto do português quanto do norueguês, e também de outras línguas do ramo latino e germânico a fim de traçar o caminho percorrido pelo elemento lexical. Propusemos outros procedimentos para fortalecer a determinação do étimo destes elementos lexicais. A análise deste tipo de elemento lexical é um grande desafio, uma vez que suas cognatas têm grafia e pronúncia muito parecidas. Também nos propusemos a comparar os resultados de nossa pesquisa etimológica com as informações contidas em outros dicionários: no Grande Dicionário Houaiss, para a língua portuguesa, no Bokmål Ordbok, no Nynorsk Ordbok (ambos da Universidade de Bergen), no Norsk Ordbok e no Riskmålsordbok, para a língua norueguesa. Consultamos muitas obras online e corpora para a realização dessa pesquisa. O Google Books e a Biblioteca Nacional da Noruega (Nasjonalbibliothek) foram fundamentais para este fim. / The present dissertation is mainly an etymological study. It has, however, an interdisciplinary character as it is part of other linguistics studies, such as Morphology, Phonology, Historical Linguistics, Semantics, as well as Translation Studies and Philology. The aim of this work is to analyse the etymology of some lexical elements formed by the derivational suffix -ção in the Portuguese language with cognates formed by -sjon in the Norwegian language. These elements are assigned to the internationalisms which, in turn, are part of the set of loanwords in the language. With a view to analysing each of the collected lexical elements of the sampling, we searched for the terminus a quo of each cognate both in the Portuguese language and in the Norwegian language as well as in the other Romance and Germanic languages. From this collection, we succeeded in tracing the path each word took. Furthermore, we proposed other procedures to strengthen the establishment of the etymon of these lexical elements. Such an analysis is a big challenge, since the cognates are very alike both in the spelling and in the pronunciation. We also aimed to compare the results of our research with the etymological information provided by the Dicionário Houaiss da Língua Portuguesa and by some Norwegian dictionaries, such as Bokmål Ordbok, Nynorsk Ordbok (both from the Bergen University), Norsk Ordbok and Riksmålsordbok. We accessed many online works and corpora in order to carry out our research. The Google Books and the National Library of Norway (Nasjonalbibliothek) were fundamental for this end.

Metteur en scène contemporain dont l’itinéraire personnel est une conséquence de la décentralisation théâtrale, Daniel Benoin tire sa force de création du passage de l’image mentale à sa concrétisation dans le spectacle vivant par l’hybridation de savoirs multiples et de techniques artistiques. Cette étude d’un destin particulier dans un rapport holiste avec l’art dramatique permet une théorisation du processus de création dans lequel un regard croisé entre phénoménologie et pragmatique confirme l’hypothèse d’une empreinte matérielle et stylistique. L’approche comparative d’un grand nombre de représentations et de l’ensemble des répétitions préalables à cinq spectacles (Wozzeck, La Cantatrice chauve, Faces, la reprise de La Cantatrice chauve, Le roman d’un trader) définira cette empreinte comme idiosyncrasique, formelle et originale, le tout commun à l’ensemble de l’œuvre observée. Ainsi, grâce aux concours de pré-images modulables et fécondes, les images mentales primordiales s’installent au cœur de la création et la vision onirique se révèle être l’essence même de la particularité artistique de ce metteur en scène. La recherche entreprise ouvre alors des perspectives renouvelées quant à l’esthétique et à la présence/absence de l’artiste dans des domaines élargis (cinéma, danse, peinture, photographie, musique, écriture). / Daniel Benoin, a contemporary stage director whose personal career was a consequence of theatrical decentralization, draws his creative strength from his ability to make mental images become concrete in live shows by using numerous knowledge and artistic techniques in a hybrid way. This project on a distinctive destiny in a holist connexion with Drama enables to theorize about the creation process in which a crossed look at phenomenology and pragmatism confirms the hypothesis of a material and stylistic imprint. The comparative approach of many performances and of all the preliminary rehearsals to five theatrical shows (Wozzeck, La Cantatrice chauve, Faces, the remake of La Cantatrice chauve, Le roman d'un trader) will eventually define this mark as an idiosyncratic, formal and original one, to be found in the whole work which was studied. Thus, thanks to the help of fertile and adjustable pre-images, essential mental images settle in the heart of creation and the oneiric vision turns out to be the very essence of the artistic particularity of this stage director. Therefore the research opens up renewed angles about the aesthetics and the presence/absence of the artist in enlarged fields (such as cinema, dancing, painting, photography, music, writing).