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‘Brood\' en ‘botter\': figuurlike taalgebruik in Afrikaans
Abstract
Opsomming: In hierdie artikel word 'n sekere tipe niekomposisionele verbinding in Afrikaans,
naamlik idiome, onder die loep geneem. Die motiveringsteorie word betrek in 'n poging om 'n
verklaring te bied vir daardie gevalle waar die taalgebruiker wel sin maak van die uitdrukking op basis van die betekenis van individuele woorde wat deel uitmaak van die idioom. Die ondersoek is uitgevoer binne die kader van die motiveringsteorie en 'n klein groepie idiome is ondersoek, naamlik idiome waarin die woorde botter en brood of albei voorkom. Uit die resultate kan die volgende afgelei word: by daardie idiome wat duidelik baie bekend is, word die idiome sonder probleem herken en word hulle waarskynlik met betekenis en al in die mentale leksikon van die taalgebruikers gestoor. By hierdie idiome is daar ook 'n duidelike bewussyn by taalgebruikers van die verband tussen die letterlike en figuurlike betekenisse van seker individuele woorde in die idiome. Dit is minder duidleik tot watter mate ander motiverende skakels (soos ensiklopediese kennis) bydra tot die dekodering van minder bekende idiome. Voorlopig kan daar hoogstens gesê word dat die hoogste graad van motivering (terugskouend gesien) te bespeur is by dié idiome wat
ook die bekendste is.
Abstract: A certain type of multiword lexical item, namely a non-compositional string of words or idiom, is examined in this article. The motivation theory is used in an attempt to provide an explanation for those cases where the language user is able to make sense of an expression on the basis of the meanings of individual words in such an expression or idiom. A small group of idioms was examined, namely idioms in which the words butter or bread or both appear. From the results the following can be deduced: those idioms which are clearly well-known are recognised without a problem. The string of words is probably stored with its figurative meaning in the mental lexicon. Language users furthermore demonstrate a definite consciousness of the link between literal and figurative meanings of certain individual words in the idioms. It is not clear to which extent other motivational links (like encyclopaedic knowledge) contribute to the decoding of idioms that are less well-known or not known at all. For the moment the most that can be concluded is that the highest degree of motivation in this particular group of idioms can be discerned in those idioms which are also best known.
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2007, 25(4): 473–485
naamlik idiome, onder die loep geneem. Die motiveringsteorie word betrek in 'n poging om 'n
verklaring te bied vir daardie gevalle waar die taalgebruiker wel sin maak van die uitdrukking op basis van die betekenis van individuele woorde wat deel uitmaak van die idioom. Die ondersoek is uitgevoer binne die kader van die motiveringsteorie en 'n klein groepie idiome is ondersoek, naamlik idiome waarin die woorde botter en brood of albei voorkom. Uit die resultate kan die volgende afgelei word: by daardie idiome wat duidelik baie bekend is, word die idiome sonder probleem herken en word hulle waarskynlik met betekenis en al in die mentale leksikon van die taalgebruikers gestoor. By hierdie idiome is daar ook 'n duidelike bewussyn by taalgebruikers van die verband tussen die letterlike en figuurlike betekenisse van seker individuele woorde in die idiome. Dit is minder duidleik tot watter mate ander motiverende skakels (soos ensiklopediese kennis) bydra tot die dekodering van minder bekende idiome. Voorlopig kan daar hoogstens gesê word dat die hoogste graad van motivering (terugskouend gesien) te bespeur is by dié idiome wat
ook die bekendste is.
Abstract: A certain type of multiword lexical item, namely a non-compositional string of words or idiom, is examined in this article. The motivation theory is used in an attempt to provide an explanation for those cases where the language user is able to make sense of an expression on the basis of the meanings of individual words in such an expression or idiom. A small group of idioms was examined, namely idioms in which the words butter or bread or both appear. From the results the following can be deduced: those idioms which are clearly well-known are recognised without a problem. The string of words is probably stored with its figurative meaning in the mental lexicon. Language users furthermore demonstrate a definite consciousness of the link between literal and figurative meanings of certain individual words in the idioms. It is not clear to which extent other motivational links (like encyclopaedic knowledge) contribute to the decoding of idioms that are less well-known or not known at all. For the moment the most that can be concluded is that the highest degree of motivation in this particular group of idioms can be discerned in those idioms which are also best known.
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2007, 25(4): 473–485
