A cognitive semantic approach to the linguistic construal of UPPER SPACE in Southern Ndebele

Abstract

This paper investigates the expression of spatial notions in Southern Ndebele (S. Ndebele), especially the four etymologically-related terms phezu (kwa-+N), phezulu, ngaphezu (kwa-+N) and ngaphezulu. They serve to express orientational and topological notions referring to UPPER SPACE. Starting with the descriptive task of demarcating their respective meanings and uses, the discussion involves important cognitive semantic parameters. The analysis shows that these locatives are best understood as etymologically-related radial categories which have undergone different diachronic developments, notwithstanding considerable overlap. They are all highly context-sensitive. Here, the focus lies on the semantics of co-occurring landmark and trajector noun phrases. Verbs often bear valency-related derivational morphology when used with these locatives whose status in terms of syntactic category is therefore not entirely clear. Consequently, it is problematic to characterise S. Ndebele with regard to Slobin's typology of verb- and satellite-framed languages. A plausible hypothesis (requiring further research) is that the Nguni languages are borderline cases, undergoing a diachronic move from rather verb-framed to more satellite-framed — with the concomitant changes in the construal of locative expressions. A first step towards an answer is presented here: the detailed cognitive-semantic analysis of synchronic polysemy and historical semantic changes of the spatial terms under study.

Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2005, 23(2): 139–154