Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to investigate the semantic features of human beings in Tshivenda. For this purpose the theoretical assumptions of Lexical semantics were taken as the starting-point of the investigation. Various concepts such as synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, hipernymy and lexical hierarchy are discussed. The semantic features of human beings are classified into two subclasses of features, i.e. physical and psychological features. The physical features which are prominent in Tshivenda are the following: age, physically disadvantaged, body shape, body part, body position and colour. Six subcategories of psychological features are recognized: intelligent, retarded, timid, good and bad behaviour, and habits. These features are represented by nouns in Tshivenda and such nouns may this function as semantic adjectives with a descriptive function. In the discussion of these features, attention is also given to the derivation of the nouns which have these features, i.e. whether derived or not, or whether there are compound nouns with these features. Attention is also given to the contribution of the noun class prefix to the semantics of these nouns. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om die semantiese kenmerke van mense in Tshivenda te ondersoek. Vir hierdie doel is die teoretiese aannames van die Leksikale semantiek geneem as die beginpunt van die ondersoek. Verskeie konsepte soos sinoniem, antoniem, hiponiem, hipernoniem en leksikale hierargie is bespreek. Die semantiese kenmerke van mense word geklassifiseer in twee subklasse van kenmerke, die fisiese en psigologiese kenmerke. Die fisiese kenmerke wat prominent is in Tshivenda is die volgende: ouderdom, fisies benadeel, liggaamsvorm, liggaamsdeel, liggaamsposisie en kleur. Ses subkategrieë van psigologiese kenmerke is gevind: intelligent, vertraag, skugter, goeie en slegte gedrag, en verskeie gewoontes. Hierdie kenmerke is teenwoordig in naamwoorde in Tshivenda en sulke naamwoorde kan dus funksioneer as semantiese adjektiewe met 'n deskriptiewe funksie. In die bespeking van hierdie kenmerke is aandag ook gegee aan die afleiding van die naamwoorde wat hierdie kenmerke het, d.i. of hulle afgelei is of nie, en of hulle saamgestelde naamwoorde is met hierdie kenmerke. Aandag is ook gegee aan die bydrae van die naamwoordklasprefiks tot die semantiek van hierdie naamwoorde.

Thesis (MA (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / This study presents an investigation of basic emotions in Tshivenda: A cognitive Semantics Analysis. The study starts with a literature review which shows what other scholars say about emotions. The study includes mainly the emotion metaphors and force on emotion in Tshivenda. The emotion concepts that receive specific attention in this study are anger, fear, sadness, love, pride and happiness. These concepts are discussed under the “source domains” as postulated. by Zoltan Kövecses in his book (Metaphor and Emotion) (2000) wherein he discusses a number of metaphorical source domains that characterize these emotion concepts.