Si, Aung (2017). The semantics of honeybee terms in Solega (Dravidian). In Zhengdao Ye (Ed.), The semantics of nouns (221-245). Oxford: Oxford University Press. DOI:10.1093/oso/9780198736721.003.0009
In this chapter, the semantics of three honeybee words from the Dravidian language Solega is discussed, with particular attention paid to methodological issues. These include sourcing naturalistic data for an under-described language, and objectively determining the boundary between core meaning elements and peripheral encyclopedic knowledge. Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) explications for perceptually similar honeybees are presented, with notes on challenging issues, such as unambiguously placing the honeybees along a gradient of physical size, as well as incorporating information on ecological relationships between honeybees and other named species. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the Solega folk taxonomy of honeybees.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
