M.A. (African Languages) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis (DLitt)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this dissertation, the semantic and syntactic properties of deverbatives are analyzed in the context of Generative Lexicon theory, which is a model of lexical semantics. The aim of the analysis relates to the existence of the relationship between nominals derived directly from an event description and their inheritance of the properties of that event. The deverbal nouns in Sesotho are analyzed semantically within specific parameters taking into account the deverbal noun as a whole. This is done by viewing how word meaning interact with a set of generative mechanisms to account for the creative use of language. These mechanisms involve the levels of representations (i.e. argument, event and qualia structures) which provides information about the number and type of arguments; the event type of a lexical item and how these events are tied together within different relations. There are correlations between lexically encoded base forms and morphological derived forms. These correlations provide a need for a representational structure to distinguish between stage-level and individual-level nominals. Focusing on the role of events in the semantics of nouns, it is shown that stage-level and individual-level nouns differ in the type and the quantification of their defining event. This led to the adoption of the view that that nominals in general should be named after the events they each fulfil. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie proefskrif word die semantiese en sintaktiese eienskappe van deverbatiewe in Sesotho ontleed binne die raamwerk van Generatiewe Leksikonteorie, ‘n model van leksikale semantiek. Die doel van die analise hou verband met die verhouding tussen nominale direk afgelei vanaf ‘n gebeurtenis (‘event’) beskrywing en die oorerwing van die eienskappe van daardie gebeurtenis (‘event’). Die Sesotho deverbatiewe word semanties ontleed binne spesifieke parameters met inagneming van die semantiese eienskappe van die deverbatief as geheel. Dit word gedoen deur ‘n ondersoek te doen na hoe woordbetekenis in interaksie is met ‘n stel generatiewe meganismes om ‘n verklaring te bied vir die kreatiewe gebruik van taal. Hierdie meganismes betrek die vlakke van representasie (nl. argumentstruktuur, gebeurtenis (‘event’) struktuur en qualia-struktuur) wat inligting voorsien omtrent die getal en tipes argumente (dit is, uitdrukkings wat tematiese rolle het), die gebeurtenis (‘event’) tipe van ‘n leksikale item, en hoe hierdie gebeurtenisse (‘events’) saamhang binne verskillende verbande. Daar is korrelasies tussen leksikaal ge-enkodeerde basisvorme en morfologiesafgeleide vorms. Hierdie ko-relasies bied ‘n behoefte vir ‘n verteenwoordigende struktuur om te onderskei tussen fase-vlak (‘stage-level’) en individuele-vlak nominale. Daar word aangetoon, met fokus op die gebeurtenisse (‘events’) in die semantiek van naamwoorde, dat fase-vlak en individuele-vlak verskil in die tipe en die kwantifisering van hulle definieerbare gebeurtenis. Dit lei tot die aanvaarding van die siening dat nominale in die algemeen benoem moet word na die gebeurtenisse waaraan elk voldoen.