M.A. / This dissertation is an investigation into the lexicographical treatment of synonymy in Afrikaans explanatory dictionaries - especially the Verklarende Handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal (HAT). It is divided into two chapters of theoretical discussion, a chapter of practical examples from HAT and a final chapter with conclusions and suggestions for improvement. Chapter two discusses the concept of 'meaning'. In order to arrive at an understanding of 'meaning', it is necessary to have a measure knowledge of some aspects of the theory. First of all there will be a brief discussion of the theory of reference and cognitive/ descriptive meaning. A lexicographer should describe the conceptual sense of a word. In order to do this he uses sense relations, namely hyponymy, antonymy and synonymy. These relations are interdependent. Hyponymy and antonymy will be touched on briefly, while synonymy will be discussed thoroughly. As far as synonymy is concerned there will be, among other aspects, a discussion of the concept 'synonymy', the difference between absolute and near-synonymy and polysemy and homonymy. Chapter three lists the lexicographical criteria in terms of which synonymy must be applied in a dictionary. In this chapter there will be a look at aspects such as the guide to the use of the dictionary (front matter), synonym definitions, the arrangement of synonyms, contextual information and a consistant cross-reference. The system according to which syonymy must be applied in a dictionary must be thoroughly explained in the front matter. In the case of synonym definitions every synonym must be taken up as a lemma and supplied with a lexicographic definition. The member of a synonym paradigm with the highest use frequency must be supplied with a lexicographic definition, while the other members of a synonym paradigm get synonym definitions. With reference to chapter three, chapter four deals with an evaluation of the application of synonymy in HAT. All the criteria in chapter three will be discussed on the basis of examples from HAT.A main conclusion reached, is that the criteria are not always maintained. In many cases the criteria are correctly maintained, but deviations of the criteria are, inter alia: not all the synonyms are taken up as lemmas; cross-references are not always correct and consistant; the lexicographic definition is placed with the wrong lemma; the members of a synonym paradigm are not arranged according to the highest use frequency. Chapter five gives a summary of the conclusions regarding criteria. There are also suggestions for improvement, regarding the application of synonymy in the case of multi-word lexical units and sublexical units. Lexicographers are working on a central data base for Afrikaans, The main problem with dictionaries, namely inconsistant cross-referencing, will be reduced if such a data base functions as the basis for lexicographic activity.

M.A. / The objectives of the study was the treatment of needlework terms in four Afrikaans monolingual dictionaries, viz. Nasionale Woordeboek (NAS), Verklarende Afrikaanse Woordeboek (VAW), Verklarende Handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal (VAW) and the exhaustive Woordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal (WAT). Chapter 1 focused on the semantic description of needlework terms. For this purpose definition types such as descriptive, genus-differentia, synonym, circular, extensional, genetic, functional and antonym definitions were distinguished. Polysemy and a separation in homonyms were also considered. Needlework terminology as a semantic field was introduced in Chapter 2 and a list of terms given in Appendix A. A distinction was made between terms referring specifically to needlework and more general vocabulary items also applicable to needlework. The vast majority of the terms were found to be nouns, the remainder being verbs and adjectives. A small number of needlework terms were found to be compounds and derivations. The main thrust of the study was Chapter 3, in which a semantic analysis of definitions was made with reference to the definition types distinguished earlier on. The genusdifferentia definition was found to be the type most commonly employed. It was moreover found that the differentia in particular could itself be analysed in other definition types. One or more synonyms formed a separate part of the semantic description. The occurrence of the various definition types as they were distributed amongst the various dictionaries, was expressed in a number of tables. No significant difference was found between the dictionaries as far a preference for a specific definition type is concerned. A number of microstructural elements, such as morphological and syntactic information, labels, etymological information and illustrative examples, and idioms containing needlework terms, were discussed in Chapter 4, and the idioms listed in Appendix B. The labels were found to be of two types, viz. subject and stylistic labels. The latter was limited to ongewoon ('uncommon'), while the former could refer to needlework, embroidery, knitting and textile usages.

This dissertation consists in essence of an experiment and a commentary upon it. The text which constitutes Part II is a lexicographical experiment incorporating some features and treatments not usual in lexicography, and Part I consists of a discussion of the problems encountered, principles applied and procedures followed. Neither the matter nor the manner of the experiment, however, lends itself in the present state of our knowledge to the fully impersonal objectivity that is often claimed for the experiments in the physical sciences. At the same time every effort has been made to establish an unbiased record of the data and to maintain a certain methodological consistency. The main experimental feature of Part II is that it is an attempt to combine an orthodox, alphabetical dictionary with an experiential categorisation of the vocabulary, without repeating the entire data for each type of treatment. This has been done by means of a series of numbered, classified word-lists with a limited subject index as a guide to their use. The entries themselves, instead of being repeated in the order of their classification, are numbered according to the category or categories to which the word defined belongs. It can then, by means of its number(s), be found in its own lexical or experiential set (or sets) in the categorised section. This part of the work might be better described as lexicology rather than lexicography but does, I think, prove itself to be a useful adjunct to the A - Z lexicon proper. Apart from the detailed categorisation system the text contains three features not normally included in dictionaries of small compass: illustrative quotations, etymologies and a number of tentative parallels between South African and other varieties of English by means of cross-references to items of similar or related meaning or form in the English of Australia, Canada, the U.S.A., Hong Kong, Anglo-India and other 'overseas' English speech communities. Introduction, p. 1.

Thesis (MA (Afrikaans Language))--University of Stellenbosch, 1990. / 199 leaves single sided printed, preliminary pages and numbered pages 1-187. Includes bibliography. Digitized using a Bizhub 250 Scanner to pdf format (OCR). / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An evaluation of semantic information in a dictionary must take into account all aspects of meaning of lexical items. Therefore the different homonyms and polysemous senses of lexical items and the underlying semantic relations between lexical items are accounted for. A description should be given of the lexical items which form the macrostructure of HAT. These lexical items include sublexical, multilexical and free lexical items. The treatment of multilexical items in HAT is not satisfactory at present and suggestions are made for the improvement of the situation. Possible solutions for distinguishing between homonymy and polysemy are given. Suggestions to determine the possible polysemous senses of a lexical item are also made. The ordering of polysemous senses and different homonyms are discussed. It is essential to make use of a synchronic criterion to distinguish between homonymy and polysemy. The HAT's treatment of semantic relations between lexical items is not always very succesfull. The semantic relation which receives the most substantial treatment is that of semantic inclusion between lexical items. The HAT's treatment of synonyms is not without problems. More attention should be given to semantic linking and semantic opposition between lexical items. An evaluation of the system of cross-references in HAT is given, with special reference to the function of cross-references. Sometimes indistinct typographical conventions are used and they confuse the user of the dictionary. The indistinct use of typographical conventions has a detrimental influence on the transfer of information. The cross-reference system of HAT can be improved by an informative explanation in the general introduction, focusing on ways and means to use it more specifically, unambiguously and consistently. A distinction is made between various types of definitions used to define lemmas. Well known lexicographic definitions such as definitions per genus et differentia, synonymdefinitions, example definitions, circular definitions and descriptive definitions are discussed. The usage definition and two definitions which explicate a semantic plus value, the contrast and diminutive definitions, are identified. Attention is also given to the role of the general introduction in a standard synchronic dictionary. Suggestions are made to improve the general introduction of HAT. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wanneer semantiese inligting in 'n woordeboek ondersoek word, word alle aspekte van leksikale items se betekenis in ag geneem. Dit sluit homonimiese vorme en polisemiese onderskeidinge van leksikale items in, asook die semantiese betrekkinge wat leksikale items onderling met mekaar aangaan. Die leksikale items wat die makrostruktuur van die HAT vorm, word beskryf. Dit sluit subleksikale, multileksikale en vrye leksikale items in. Verskillende tipes multileksikale en subleksikale items word onderskei. Tans word multileksikale items in HAT nie na wense hanteer nie en voorstelle word aan die hand gedoen hoe die stelsel verbeter kan word. Moontlike oplossings vir die onderskeidingsprobleem tussen homonimie en polisemie, asook maniere waarop 'n leksikale item se polisemiese onderskeidinge vasgestel kan word, word verskaf. Aandag word ook aan die ordening van polisemiese onderskeidinge en homonimiese vorme gegee. Dit is belangrik dat 'n sinchroniese maatstaf gebruik word om tussen homonimie en polisemie te onderskei. Semantiese betrekkinge tussen leksikale items word met 'n wisselende mate van sukses deur HAT hanteer. Semantiese insluiting tussen leksikale items word die meeste beskryf. Daar bestaan egter probleme by die hantering van sinonimie tussen leksikale items. Semantiese aansluiting tussen leksikale items word min deur die woordeboek aangedui. Semantiese opposisie tussen leksikale items kan ook meer deur die HAT aangedui word. Die kruisverwysingstelsel van die HAT word ondersoek. Funksies van kruisverwysings word beskryf. Kruisverwysings word wel deur die HAT redaksie gebruik, maar hulle kan nog meer gebruik word. Soms word onduidelike tipografiese konvensies gebruik en dit het swak inligtingsoordrag tot gevolg. Die kruisverwysingstelsel van die HAT kan verbeter word deur dit in die toeligtende aantekeninge te verduidelik, spesifiek en ondubbelsinnig toe te pas en deur dit konsekwent te gebruik. Verskillende tipes definisies waarmee leksikale items gedefinieer word, word onderskei. Bekende leksikografiese definisies soos genus-differentia-definisies, sinoniemdefinisies, voorbeelddefinisies, sirkeldefinisies en deskriptiewe definisies word bespreek. Die gebruiksdefinisie en twee definsies wat semantiese pluswaardes ekspliseer, naamlik die teenstellingsdefinisie en die verkleiningsdefinisie,word geidentifiseer. Die rol van toeligtende aantekeninge in 'n handwoordeboek word bespreek. Daar word gewys op die swak toeligtende aantekeninge van die HAT. Voorstelle word gedoen oor hoe die hantering van semantiese inligting in die toeligtende aantekeninge verduidelik moet.