Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Ce travail se situe dans le cadre de la Théorie Standard Étendue, à laquelle certaines modifications sont apportées, notamment quant à l’association d’une règle sémantique aux opérations transformationnelles. Il est montré que ce type d’approche permet d’assigner à chaque phrase une description sémantique (une forme logique) apte à représenter un phénomène crucial comme la présupposition (sémantique). L’étude empirique porte sur la périphrase verbale « venir de + infinitif » et ses équivalents dans plusieurs langues qui recourent soit à une autre périphrase (par exemple, l’espagnol « acabar de + infinitif »), soit à l’emploi d’un adverbe (latin « modo », anglais « just », etc.) accompagnant une forme de parfait ou de prétérit. On soutient qu’à ces expressions de surface très diverses correspond une forme logique sous-jacente combinant un opérateur d’accompli à un opérateur de restriction portant sur un adverbe de temps (« maintenant » / « alors », etc.). De nombreux phénomènes, tant synchroniques que diachroniques, trouvent leur explication dans un tel cadre, en particulier la concurrence entre « venir de + infinitif » et « ne faire que (de) + infinitif » dans l’histoire du français.<p><p>This research work has been carried out in the framework of a modified version of Extended Standard Theory where semantic rules are associated to transformations. It is shown that this approach allows assigning to each sentence a semantic description (i.e. a logical form) able to represent such a crucial phenomenon as (semantic) presupposition. The empirical study bears on the French verbal periphrasis « venir de + infinitive » and its equivalents in several languages where we find either another periphrasis (like, for instance, Spanish « acabar de + infinitive ») or an adverb (Latin « modo », English « just », etc.) modifying a perfect or preterite form. It is argued that such highly diverse surface forms should receive an underlying logical form that combines an « accomplished/completed » operator to a restriction operator taking a time adverb (« now » / « then », etc.) under its scope. Numerous synchronic or diachronic data can be accounted for in such a framework, in particular the competition between « venir de + infinitive » and « ne faire que (de) + infinitive » in the history of French.<p> / Doctorat en philosophie et lettres, Orientation langue et littérature / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This thesis belongs to the research tradition of Romance historical semantics, and combines diachronic methods with cognitive hypotheses. Analysing complex adpositions in French and Italian, its originality resides in the fact that, both for literal and metaphorical uses, it applies a functional approach to a diachronic problematic, carrying out a corpus analysis.<p>The period covered consists of four hundred years (from the 16th until the end of the 19th Century). The constructions under analysis conform to the pattern [PREP1 (+ article) + travers(o) (+ PREP2)], viz. the French expressions 'à travers (de)', 'au travers (de)', 'en travers (de)', 'de travers' and their Italian formal equivalents 'a traverso/at(t)raverso (a, di, per)', 'al traverso (di)', 'in traverso (di)' and 'di traverso (a)' ('traverso (a)', without PREP1, is included too). These expressions, and especially their prepositional uses, are assumed to be intrinsically dynamic. However, they are no pure prepositions, in that all of them can be used in at least two different syntactic roles. More specifically, some are principally found as a preposition, and secondarily as an adverb; others behave mostly as an adverb, but also as an adjective; finally, certain expressions exhibit all three types of uses.<p>The results can be structured around four axes. Firstly, a complete diachronic-semantic description of all uses is given of this set of hardly explored expressions, in order to contribute to a better comprehension of their semantic structure. The study bears on morphological, syntactic, but most of all semantic aspects of the evolutions observed. Secondly, functional concepts such as Guidance, proposed in synchronic research (in particular by Stosic (2002b; 2007; 2009)), and notions we elaborate on the basis of research on Modern French (cf. Somers 1988; and Plungian 2002), in particular Contrast and Deviation, are put to the test. By adopting a diachronic perspective, we assess to what extent these notions are able to describe the semantics conveyed in the past by the expressions under study. Thirdly, this thesis determines in what measure the expressions analysed were subjected to a grammaticalisation process, and why some of them (in particular 'à travers', and, to a lesser extent, 'a traverso/at(t)raverso (a, di, per)') became significantly more frequent from the 18th Century onwards. We provide elements that point to a more advanced grammaticalisation for certain expressions. Moreover, we determine to what extent the evolutionary trends observed corroborate or, on the contrary, disconfirm various mechanisms considered to be part of the process of grammaticalisation. Finally, a comparison between the evolutions in the two languages under study helps to distinguish between more general and language-specific mechanisms of semantic and grammatical evolution, given that every natural language has a specific way of organising its own modelling of space.<p>The results of this study enrich our knowledge of the phrases studied and their functioning in the past, but also in present-day French and Italian, providing diachronic observations regarding the functional notions put to the test. Further, it contributes to a better understanding of the grammaticalisation mechanisms of complex constructions. Finally, it shows that typologically related languages may evolve differently in their ways of representing space, and in particular in their semantic distribution of various functional concepts within a group of close constructions./Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le domaine de la sémantique historique romane, et combine des méthodes diachroniques avec des hypothèses cognitives. En analysant des adpositions complexes en français et en italien, son originalité réside dans le fait que, à la fois pour des usages littéraux et métaphoriques, elle applique une approche fonctionnelle à une problématique diachronique, en réalisant une analyse de corpus.<p>La période traitée est constituée de quatre cents ans (à partir du XVIe jusqu’à la fin du XIXe siècle). Les constructions analysées sont conformes au modèle [PREP1 (+ article) + travers(o) (+ PREP2)], à savoir les expressions françaises 'à travers (de)', 'au travers (de)', 'en travers (de)', 'de travers' et leurs équivalentes formelles italiennes 'a traverso/at(t)raverso (a, di, per)', 'al traverso (di)', 'in traverso (di)' et 'di traverso (a)' ('traverso (a)', sans PREP1, est aussi incluse). Ces expressions, et surtout leurs usages prépositionnels, sont supposées être intrinsèquement dynamiques. Cependant, elles ne sont pas de pures prépositions, en ce que chacune d’elles peut être utilisée dans au moins deux rôles syntaxiques différentes. Plus précisément, certaines se rencontrent principalement comme préposition, et accessoirement comme adverbe ;d’autres se comportent la plupart du temps comme adverbe, mais aussi comme adjectif ;enfin, certaines expressions présentent les trois types d’usages.<p>Les résultats s’articulent autour de quatre axes. Tout d’abord, une description diachronique et sémantique complète est donnée de tous les usages de l’ensemble de ces expressions qui sont à peine explorées, afin de contribuer à une meilleure compréhension de leur structure sémantique. L’étude porte sur des aspects morphologiques, syntaxiques, mais surtout sémantiques des évolutions observées. Deuxièmement, des concepts fonctionnels tels que celui de Guidage, proposé dans des travaux en synchronie (en particulier par Stosic (2002b; 2007; 2009)), et des notions que nous élaborons sur la base d’analyses du français moderne (cf. Somers 1988; et Plungian 2002), en particulier celles de Contraste et Déviation, sont mises à l’épreuve. En adoptant une perspective diachronique, nous évaluons dans quelle mesure ces notions sont en mesure de décrire la sémantique véhiculée dans le passé par les expressions étudiées. Troisièmement, cette thèse détermine dans quelle mesure les expressions analysées ont été soumises à un processus de grammaticalisation, et pourquoi certaines d’entre elles (en particulier 'à travers' et, dans une moindre mesure, 'a traverso/at(t)raverso (a, di, per)') sont devenues beaucoup plus fréquentes à partir du XVIIIe siècle. Nous fournissons des éléments qui indiquent une grammaticalisation plus avancée de certaines expressions. De plus, nous déterminons dans quelle mesure les tendances évolutives observées corroborent ou, au contraire, infirment différents mécanismes considérés comme faisant partie du processus de grammaticalisation. Enfin, une comparaison entre les évolutions dans les deux langues étudiées permet de distinguer des tendances sémantiques et grammaticales plus générales de ceux qui sont plus spécifiques à une langue, étant donné que chaque langue naturelle a une façon spécifique d’organiser sa représentation de l’espace.<p>En fournissant des observations diachroniques sur les notions fonctionnelles mises à l’épreuve, cette thèse enrichit notre connaissance des constructions étudiées et leur fonctionnement dans le passé, ce qui aide aussi à mieux comprendre leur usage contemporain. De plus, elle contribue à une meilleure compréhension des mécanismes de grammaticalisation des constructions complexes. Enfin, elle montre que des langues typologiquement proches peuvent évoluer différemment dans leurs modes de représentation de l’espace, et en particulier dans la distribution sémantique de différents concepts fonctionnels dans un groupe de constructions proches.<p><p> / Doctorat en Langues et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

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)

In the Arabic language a “word/particle” is divided into three classes: noun verb and particle. After research of relevant literature it became evident to this researcher that the bulk of research related to signifying particles has stressed their complementary relation to nouns and verbs which has created shortcomings in these studies. The most noteworthy of them has been to restrict a study of particles either to their linguistic or grammatical functions or to confine this endeavor to some particles only. This study aims to study all particles as independent components of Arabic signifiers. In the first section , the researcher reviews relevant grammatical terminologies relating to and associated with the particles such as: speech ,word , noun, verb…etc, and outlines both instances of similarities and differences found among them. He then elucidates the three categories of word particles by referring to the peculiarities of each of them. The remaining chapters are devoted to presenting the linguistic definitions of each word particle , beginning with single phoneme particles and systematically progressing to higher ones. Essentially all word particles fulfill linguistic functions before they may fulfill any syntactic or other functions. After reviewing their linguistic functions, the researcher queries , or proposes the possibility of using linguistic terminology for them instead of using syntactical or grammatical terminology because the former embraces all word particles whereas the latter is restricted to just some of them. In the final section, he focuses on the syntactical functions of the semantic particles, and their influence grammatically , wehter it is permanent or occasional influence. He also explains word particles associated with whether nouns or verbs , or with both of them. / الكلمة في اللغة العربية تنقسم الى ثلاثة أقسام :اسم وفعل وحرف، ولقد تبين للباحث بعد مراجعته للأدبيات أن معظم الدراسات التى تناولت حروف المعاني تناولتها من منظور انها مكملة للقسمين الآخرين، هذه النظرية أدّت إلى قصور في الدراسة، وقد تجلى اهم أوجه هذا القصور أولا في التركيز على جانب واحد من جوانب دراسة الحروف، اعني الجانب اللغوي او الوظيفة النحوية، او الإقتصار على بعض الحروف دون سائرها. هذا البحث يعتبر محاولة لدراسة جميع الحروف كقسم مستقل من أقسام الكلمة العربية، يبتدأ الباحث فيه - في الفصل الأول - باستعراض المصطلحات النحوية المحيطة والمرتبطة بالحروف من قبيل : الكلام والكلمة واللفظ والقول ...الخ مبيناً كيفة تداخل وترابط تلك المصطلحات وأوجه إختلافها، ثم أقسام الكلام الثلاثة مع الإشارة إلى مميزات كل قسمٍ وخصائصه ، وتتناول بقية الفصول المعاني اللغوية للحروف- إبتداء بالحروف الأحادية ثم الثنائية والثلاثية والرباعية و الخماسية - لأنّ الأصل في كل الكلمات أن تؤدّي وظائف لغوية محدّدة قبل أن يكون لها دورٌ نحويٌ او لايكون، ويتساءل الباحث او يقترح – بعد استعراض المعاني الللغوية للحروف – امكانية استخدام التسميات اللغوية للحروف بدلاً من التسمية النحوية، لأنّ الأولى تشمل كلّ الحروف ، بينما تقتصر الثانية على قسمٍ من الحروف . ثمّ يتدرج إلى الفصل الأخير المخصص للعمل النحوي للحروف ، مستعرضاً أوجه عملها – سواء كانت دائمة العمل أو عاملة أحياناً ومهملة في بعض الأحوال- ومبيناً ما يختص منها بالعمل بالاسم او بالفعل وما يشترك في الدخول عليهما. / Linguistics

Text in Afrikaans / Twee sentrale probleme word hier ondersoek, naamlik die daarstelling van 'n teoreties adekwate model om leksikale valensie te verreken en die problematiek rondom die beskrywing van Afrikaanse bewegingswerkwoorde. Die vertrekpunt is dat 'n teorie van UG lesikale valensie slegs ten dele verreken. So 'n teorie is gemoeid met die vorm van 'n konstruksie wat op LF-vlak leesbaar is. Gevolglik beskryf 'n teorie van UG valensie net in universele sintakties-kategoriale terme. In hierdie studie word die semantiese en pragmatiese komponente van 'n valensieteorie derhalwe uitgebou sodat daar 'n duideliker begrip verkry kan word van die wisselwerking tussen alle veranderlikes van valensie op 'n taalspesifieke LF-vlak. 'n Valensieteorie word op eklektiese wyse saamgestel uit verskeie ander teoriee. Die apparaat om die sintaktiese komponent van 'n valensieteorie te beskryf, word aan TGGmodelle ontleen. Die semantiese komponent van die teorie word aangevul vanuit die Konseptuele Semantiek en die pragmatiese komponent daarvan vanui t kogni ti ewe grammatikamodelle. Die interaksie tussen hierdie komponente word verreken deur teoriee van leksikalisasie, korrespondensiereels en die passing tussen konstruksies en leksikale items. Die ontleding van Afrikaanse bewegingswerkwoorde spesif iseer die omvattender anali tiese apparaat wat nodig is vir die verrekening van valensie verby die punt waarvoor 'n teorie van UG voorsiening maak. Dit blyk uit hierdie analise dat die valensie van die kategorie in 'n aantal valensieraambeskrywings vir die aparte subklasse saamgevat kan word. 'n Duidelike beeld van die universele en taalspesifiekidiosinkratiese aspekte van hierdie kategorie kan in terme van hierdie valensierame aangetoon word. 'n Verdere hipotese (die onakkusatiwiteithipotese) is dat die sintaktiese verspreiding van werkwoorde ui t hulle semantiek voorspel kan word. Hierdie hipotese word getoets aan die empiriese data van Afrikaanse bewegingswerkwoorde. Hierdie bewegingswerkwoorde word in groepe geklassifiseer na gelang van ooreenstemmende semanties-pragmatiese kenmerke. Daar word getoon dat bewegingswerkwoorde met dieself de semantiespragmatiese kenmerke dieselfde valensierame het. Valensierame is daarom op sistematiese wyse uit semanties-pragmatiese kenmerke afleibaar. Sekere fasette van valensierame word egter ook bepaal deur konvensies soos profilering, en deur bereelde interaksie met 'n basiese konstruksie se argumentstruktuur. / This thesis focuses on the development of a theoretically adequate model to account for lexical valence and to provide the detail for such a model by means of an analysis of Afrikaans verbs of motion. The thesis is a response to a theory of UG which inadequately accounts for lexical valence. A theory of UG is concerned with the universal syntactic form of a construction that is legible on LF level. It therefore describes valence in universal syntactic-categorial terms only. This thesis develops the semantic and pragmatic components of a theory of valence in order that a clearer understanding may be gained of the interaction between all the variables of valence on a language specific LF level. A theory of valence is construed eclectically from several other theories. TGG models provide the methods used to describe the syntactic component of a theory of valence. Conceptual Semantics contributes to the development of the semantic component, and models of cognitive grammar to the pragmatic component. The interaction between these components is explained by theories of lexicalisation, rules of correspondence and the fusion of constructions and lexical items. The analysis of Afrikaans verbs of motion provides the comprehensive set of analytical devices required to account for valence beyond the point of LF. From this analysis it emerges that the valence of this category can be summarized in a finite number of frames of valence for distinct classes within the category. 'n Clear understanding of the universal and language specific aspects of this category is achieved by means of these frames of valence. A further hypothesis (the unaccusativity hypothesis) posits that the syntactic distribution of verbs can be predicted from their semantics. This hypothesis is tested by means of empirical data of Afrikaans verbs of motion. These verbs are classified according to similar semantic-pragmatic features. It is shown that verbs of motion with the same semanticpragmatic features share frames of valence. These frames thus are deducible systematically from semantic-pragmatic features. Certain aspects of frames of valence, however, are determined by conventions such as profiling and the regulated interaction between verbs and constructions. / Afrikaans / D.Litt. et Phil. (Afrikaans)

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 1991. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the most vexing questions in the exegetical research on the Psalms has been the establishing of the identity of the suppliant who refers to himself as the cani. Many scholars have endeavoured to study the meaning and significance of this word, but it is still not satisfactorily resolved. The weakness of these studies can be traced back to two factors: (1) an exaggerated over-confidence in the etymological method of analysis, and (2) the implementation of inadequate and incomplete semantic methods. This investigation starts out with the hypothesis that the meaning of cani must be determined in terms of both its macro and micro leve~. Thus, the meaning of this designation will be established synchronically, as well as in terms of an associative field. In this way the semantic field of cani can be .demarcated in light of its immediate lexical, as well as its wider associative field. A close reading of the Psalms in which cani appears, reveals that a triangular relationship is depicted between certain actants. The drama tis personae occupying the following roles in this triangle are: (1) Yahweh asjudge and saviour, (2) the cani as suppliant and victim, and (3) .the antagonist as oppressor and blasphemer. In order to establish the identity of the cani it was necessary to investigate its synonyms and antonyms within this complex triangular structure. Within such a semantic framework it has been determined that the stereotype translation equivalent "poor" is both inadequate and misleading. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Een van die mees kwellende vrae in die moderne Psalmeksegese is die raaisel aangaande die identiteit van die cani. Baie geleerdes het gepoog om die betekenis van hierdie woord te bepaal, maar tot nou toe is die prableem nog nie bevredigend opgelos nie as gevolg van: (1) te swaar klem wat op die etimologie van die woord geplaas is, of (2) onvoldoende semantiese metodes wat gebruik is in die ondersoek van hierdie term. Hierdie studie gaan uit van die hipotese dat die betekenis van cani op beide makro- en mikrovlak vasgestel moet word. Die betekenis moet sinkronies sowel as in terme van 'n assosiatiewe veld bepaal word. Op hierdie wyse kan die semantiese veld afgebaken word op grand van die onmiddellike leksikale sowel as die wyere assosiatiewe veld. Verder is daar ook vasgestel dat in die Psalms waarin cani voorkom, daar gewoonlik sprake is van 'n driehoeksverhouding. Die dramatis personae is: (1) Jahwe as rigter en redder, (2) die cani as aangeklaagde/smekeling en slagoffer en (3) die antagonis as onderdrukker en aanklaerllasteraar. Om die identiteit van die cani vas te stel, was dit nodig om die sinonieme sowel as die antonieme van hierdie term binne so 'n driehoekige struktuur te ondersoek. Binne so 'n semantiese raamwerk is vasgestel dat die stereotipe vertalingsekwivalent "arm" beide onvoldoende en misleidend is.

The primary role of this report is to provide an in-depth analysis of all the instances of the word vidua, its meanings and uses in Latin literature from the last two centuries B.C. This close examination of the word vidua in the literary sources of this period has resulted in a number of important modifications to its definition. The word vidua, which is commonly translated by ancient scholars as widow, is not sustained by the contextual evidence of the majority of the passages that do no state explicitly the reason for the women's deprived status. Instead the word is most commonly used to mean a much broader social group of Roman women, all no longer married women, a category which includes various groups of women such as widows, divorcees, abandoned women and women whose husbands have been away for long periods of time. Furthermore the English word unmarried should not be used to translate the Latin word vidua since, as I demonstrate throughout my paper, there is a clear distinction in the Roman minds between women who are no longer married, vidua, and women who are not yet married, virgines an important distinction that gets lost with the more inclusive and broader social category meant by the word unmarried. / text

The research presented in this dissertation adopts an empirical Saussurean structuralist approach to elucidating the true meaning of the verb patterns characterised formally by vowel lengthening in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). The verbal system as a whole is examined in order to place the patterns of interest (III and VI) in context, the complexities of Arabic verbal morphology are explored and the challenges revealed by previous attempts to draw links between form and meaning are presented. An exhaustive dictionary survey is employed to provide quantifiable data to empirically test the largely accepted view that the vowel lengthening patterns have mutual/reciprocal meaning. Finding the traditional explanation inadequate and prone to too many exceptions, alternative commonalities of meaning are similarly investigated. Whilst confirming the detransitivising function of the ta- prefix which derives pattern VI from pattern III, analysis of valency data also precludes transitivity as a viable explanation for pattern III meaning compared with the base form. Examination of formally similar morphology in certain nouns leads to the intuitive possibility that vowel lengthening has aspectual meaning. A model of linguistic aspect is investigated for its applicability to MSA and used to isolate the aspectual feature common to the majority of pattern III and pattern VI verbs, which is determined to be atelicity. A set of verbs which appear to be exceptional in that they are not attributable to atelic aspectual categories is found to be characterised by inceptive meaning and a three-phase model of event time structure is developed to include an inceptive verbal category, demonstrating that these verbs too are atelic. Thus the form-meaning relationship which is discovered is that the vowel lengthening verbal patterns in Modern Standard Arabic have atelic aspectual meaning.

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)