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Some lexemes associated with the concept of JOY in Biblical Hebrew : a cognitive linguistic investigation

Thesis(PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Theories of lexical semantics have undergone an evolutionary development for centuries. Geeraerts (2010) has traced their development from the historical-philological era (circa 1880) until the early 21st century. The current situation finds two basic approaches to lexical studies, with scholars positioned on a continuum from a minimalist position to a maximalist position. The former makes a demarcation between linguistics and pragmatics, relegating word meaning to pragmatics and a separation of word knowledge from world knowledge. The latter argues that there can be no separation made between lexical meaning and contextual meaning (word knowledge and world knowledge).
The study is based on insights from the maximalist perspective. Second, it proposes that it is necessary to approach semantical studies with a composite approach taking into consideration frames, conceptual metaphor and metonymy, prototype, Idealized Cognitive Models, grammar and figurative uses of language (including non-verbal expressions and symbolic gestures) in order to have a full understanding of the concept a word or expression symbolizes. Third, all of the occurrences of a word or expression that appear in a corpus are analyzed in order to determine a possible range of polysemy as it is expressed in actual language usage.
Finally, the context of the research is Bible Translation. One question asked in the investigation is, what information gleaned from the composite model can be appropriately presented in a specialist bilingual lexicon based on a frame model?
The results of the research using the eclectic model provided a very broad understanding of some of the lexemes associated with JOY in biblical Hebrew. It was determined that these lexemes were associated with a concept of JOY that was very similar to the five-stage EVENT STRUCTURE metaphor proposed by Kövecses (2010) for emotions in English. Second, the investigation was able to verify the core features of JOY—volition, desire, determination and satisfaction—and to indicate how different construal operations activated specific features of the meaning potential in each linguistic frame. Third, the differences and similarities of each of the specific lexemes that were studied were determined and described. Fourth, it was demonstrated how the appropriate information needed by translators could be described and suggested for entry into a bilingual (biblical Hebrew-English) lexicon designed specifically for Bible Translators. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Teoriee van leksikale semantiek het deur die eeue ‘n evolusionere proses deurloop. Geeraerts (2010) het hierdie ontwikkeling vanaf die histories-filologiese era (ongeveer 1880) tot vroeg in die 21ste eeu nagespoor. Huidiglik kan leksikale studies in twee kampe verdeel word, en geleerdes bevind hulle tipies op ‘n kontinuum tussen ‘n minimalistiese en maksimalisties posisie. Eersgenoemde maak ‘n duidelike onderskeid tussen linguistiek en pragmatiek en religeer woordbetekenis tot pragmatiek en onderskei kennis van ‘n woord van kennis van die wereld. Laasgenoemde argumenteer dat daar geen onderskeid gemaak kan word tussen leksikale betekenis en kontekstuele betekenis nie (woordkennis en kennis van die wêreld).
Hierdie studie berus op insigte van die maksimalistiese perspektief. Tweedens, dit stel voor dat dit nodig is om semantiese studies te benader met ‘n meervoudig saamgestelde benadering. So ‘n benadering neem in ag die raamwerk (“frame”), konseptuele metafoor en metonomie, prototipe, “Idealized Cognitive Models”, grammatika en figuurlike gebruike van taal (insluitend nie-verbale uitdrukkings en simboliese gebare) sodat by ‘n deeglike verstaan van die konsep wat ‘n woord of uitdrukking simboliseer, gekom kan word. Derdens, al die gebruike van ‘n woord of uitdrukking wat in ‘n korpus voorkom, word ontleed om te bepaal of ‘n polisemiese verband gepostuleer kan word tussen die uitdrukkings soos dit gebruik word.
Ten slotte, die konteks van hierdie studie is Bybelvertaling. Een vraag wat konsekwent in die ondersoek gevra is, is welke informasie wat verkry is deur die meervoudig saamgestelde benadering kan op ‘n gepaste manier aangebied word in ‘n tweetalige leksikon wat rus op ‘n raamwerkmodel (“frame model”).
Die resultate van die navorsing waarin die eklektiese model gebruik is, het tot ’n bree verstaan van die konseptualisering van VREUGDE in Bybelse Hebreeus gelei. Daar is vasgestel dat die emosie VREUGDE in Bybelse Hebreeus ooreenstem met die vyf-fase GEBEURTENIS-STRUKTUUR metafoor wat deur Kovecses (2010) voorgestel is vir emosies in Engels. Tweedens, die ondersoek was in staat om die kern-eienskappe van vreugde te verifieer—wil, begeerte, determinasie and satisfaksie—asook om aan te dui hoe verskillende konstruerende (“construal”) operasies aspekte van die betekenispotensiaal in spesifieke raamwerke aktiveer. Derdens, die verskille en die ooreenkomste van elke spesifieke lekseem wat na vreugde verwys, is vasgestel en beskryf. Vierdens is daar gedemonstreer hoe inligting wat ter sake is vir vertalers, beskryf kan word.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/86427
Date04 1900
CreatorsMegahan, Michael Larry
ContributorsVan der Merwe, C. H. J., Kruger, P. A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Department of Ancient Studies.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Formatxiv, 208 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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