Die motiveringsteorie en idiome met hand

Abstract

The motivation theory and idioms with hand. According to the motivation theory of Lakoff the meaning of idioms is not necessarily totally opaque. Metaphor, metonymy, conventional images and encyclopaedic knowledge form motivational links between the literal and figurative meanings of a string of words. The notion of radially structured categories is of particular help in explaining the way in which a single word (in this case hand) which occurs in a whole range of idioms (there are up to 200 idioms in Afrikaans which contain the word hand), can contribute to the figurative meaning of the idiom. In an Idealized Cognitive Model a central subcategory (‘body part') is linked to other subcategories by means of metonymy and metaphor (HAND AS POSSESSION, HAND AS POWER). The present article demonstrates how this process works in the selected idioms.



Volgens die motiveringsteorie van Lakoff is die betekenis van idiome nie noodwendig ondeursigtig nie. Metafoor, metonimie, konvensionele beelde en ensiklopediese kennis vorm motiverende skakels tussen die letterlike en figuurlike betekenisse van 'n string woorde. Die idee van radiaal gestruktureerde kategorieë is veral nuttig om die verband tussen 'n enkele woord (in hierdie geval hand) wat in 'n hele aantal idiome voorkom (daar is ongeveer 200 idiome in Afrikaaans waarin die woord hand voorkom) en die figuurlike betekenis van die idiome te verklaar. In 'n Geïdealiseerde Kognitiewe Model word 'n sentrale subkategorie (‘liggaamsdeel') aan ander subkategorieë verbind deur middel van metafore en metonimie (HAND AS BESIT, HAND AS MAG). Die onderhawige artikel illustreer hierdie proses.


(S/ern Af Linguistics & Applied Language Stud: 2000 18(1-4): 15-23)