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Lexical semantics and deverbal nominalisations in Sesotho

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.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/19543
Date03 1900
CreatorsPhindane, Pule Alexis
ContributorsVisser, M. W., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of African Languages.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Formatx, 437 leaves ; ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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