Browsing results for Language families
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on September 10, 2018.
Wilkins, David P. (1986). Particles/clitics for criticism and complaint in Mparntwe Arrernte (Aranda). Journal of Pragmatics, 10(5), 575-596. DOI: 10.1016/0378-2166(86)90015-9
This paper examines a set of five particle/clitics which are used for criticizing and complaining in Mparntwe Arrernte (Aranda) – a Central Australian Aboriginal language. It describes how the illocutionary force of criticism and/or complaint achieved by each particle/clitic is a function of their meaning, culture-specific pragmatics, and both the linguistic and extra-linguistic contexts of use. The value of natural language definition is demonstrated through practical application. It is also argued that conversational implicatures may be conventional and, further, that such conventional implicatures can be semantically explicated. The meaning of the implicature is generated as part of an utterance by regular pragmatic rules.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) iknge, (E) itanye, (E) kathene, (E) kwele, (E) me (clitic)
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on June 18, 2019.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1986). Semantics and the interpretation of cultures: The meaning of ‘alternate generations’ devices in Australian languages. Man, 21, 34-49.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2802645
Abstract:
This article aims to reveal the real meaning of some devices that play a crucial role in the linguistic communication of Australian Aborigines. The elements in question include alternative sets of pronouns, determined by the principle of ‘generation harmony’. It is argued that technical labels such as ‘harmonic’ and ‘disharmonic’ reflect the anthropologist’s rather than the native speaker’s point of view. As an alternative to the use of arcane, and psychologically arbitrary, semantic metalanguage widely used in anthropological and linguistic literature, a semantic metalanguage is proposed, based on a postulated system of universal semantic prim(itiv)es. The interpretation of cultures requires more than translation of native categories into an arcane technical language of the scientist; an analytical framework is proposed by which native categories of thought can be translated into a language that makes it possible (i) to capture native speakers’ meaning, and (2) to make that meaning accessible to people from other cultures.
More information:
A more recent publication building on this one is:
Chapter 10 (pp. 355-370) of Wierzbicka, Anna (1992), Semantics, culture, and cognition: Universal human concepts in culture-specific configurations. New York: Oxford University Press.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Published on May 10, 2017. Last updated on September 10, 2018.
Chappell, Hilary (1986). Formal and colloquial adversity passives in Standard Chinese. Linguistics, 24(6), 1025-1052. DOI: 10.1515/ling.1986.24.6.1025
A semantic analysis of the polysemy of analytic passive constructions in standard Chinese (Mandarin) that belong to both formal and colloquial levels of language is undertaken here. The three passive constructions in question all have the basic syntactic form of NP(undergoer)-BEI/RANG/JIAO-NP(agent)-VP.
The view of the formal bèi passive as an adversity passive in its continuing traditional usage in the spoken language is upheld and supported principally by the evidence of the semantic analysis. Its treatment as a polysemous structure results in division into two main types — the formal bei passive and the bèi passive of ‘translatese’ in written language. For the second type, it will be shown that the influence of European languages in translation has led to the loss of the adversity feature, the requirement of an overt agent, and a perfective predicate.
Finally, an argument in favour of considering the colloquial adversity passives formed by ràng and jiào to contain certain semantic features,
distinct both from one another and from the bèi passive, is presented. It is contended that ràng forms passives of ‘avoidable’ events whereas jiào forms passives expressing the unexpected nature of the event. Both contrast to bèi, where the serious nature of the adversity is encoded.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) bei, (E) jiào, (E) ràng
Published on May 10, 2017. Last updated on September 10, 2018.
Chappell, Hilary (1986). The passive of bodily effect in Chinese. Studies in Language, 10(2), 271-296. DOI: 10.1075/sl.l0.2.02cha
In standard Chinese (pŭtōnghuà), besides the regular passive form NP (undergoer) – BEI – NP (agent) – VP, there is a second syntactically related passive with a complex predicate containing a postverbal or ‘retained object’ : NP (undergoer) – BEI – NP (agent) – V – LE – N (part of the body).
This second construction serves as the topic of discussion of this paper. It is shown to be restricted to expressing an inalienable relationship between a person and a part of the body, other relational nouns such as kinship or material possessions being excluded from postverbal position.
It is argued that the postverbal NP is not a case of a ‘retained object’ in Jespersen’s sense as the body part term neither acts as the true semantic undergoer nor can be considered as a kind of second object. This argument is supported by the additional evidence of the postverbal NP not permitting any modification by adjectives or demonstratives.
The interpretation of lasting effect on the undergoer (the affected person) resulting from an adversative passive event is claimed to be a main
semantic constraint of this construction.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) bei
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on June 18, 2019.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1986). Human emotions: Universal or culture-specific? American Anthropologist, 88(3), 584-594.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/aa.1986.88.3.02a00030
Abstract:
The search for ‘fundamental human emotions’ has been seriously impeded by the absence of a culture-independent semantic metalanguage. The author proposes a metalanguage based on a postulated set of universal semantic primitives, and shows how language-specific meanings of emotion terms can be captured and how rigorous cross-cultural comparisons of emotion terms can be achieved.
More information:
A more recent publication building on this one is:
Chapter 3 (pp. 119-134) of Wierzbicka, Anna (1992), Semantics, culture, and cognition: Universal human concepts in culture-specific configurations. New York: Oxford University Press.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) dégout, (E) disgusted, (E) distasteful, (E) embarrassment/embarrassed, (E) fear/afraid, (E) homesick, (E) miss, (E) pine after, (E) repulsive, (E) revolting, (E) shame/ashamed, (E) shame/fear (Nhaalya), (E) tęsknić, (E) tęsknota
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on September 10, 2018.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1986). Precision in vagueness: The semantics of English ‘approximatives’. Journal of Pragmatics, 10(5), 597-614. DOI: 10.1016/0378-2166(86)90016-0
A more recent publication building on this one is chapter 9 (pp. 341-389) of:
Wierzbicka, Anna (1991, 2003). Cross-cultural pragmatics: The semantics of human interaction. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
In this paper, the author explicates a number of English ‘approximatives’ such as around, about, approximately, roughly, at least, at the most, almost and nearly. In each case, she offers a paraphrase substitutable for the particle itself. She argues against a ‘radically pragmatic’ approach to particles, advocated by Sadock and others, and advocates an alternative, ‘radically semantic’ account. She tries to show that even the vaguest ‘hedges’ and ‘approximatives’ can be given rigorous semantic explications, which correctly account for the particles’ use.
Tags: (E) about, (E) almost, (E) approximately, (E) around, (E) as many as, (E) at least, (E) at the most, (E) exactly, (E) just, (E) merely, (E) nearly, (E) no less, (E) no more, (E) only, (E) roughly
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on August 31, 2018.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1986). Metaphors linguists live by: Lakoff & Johnson contra Aristotle. Papers in Linguistics, 19(2), 287-313. DOI: 10.1080/08351818609389260
Review article of George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, Metaphors we live by.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) happy, (E) hate, (E) in love, (E) love, (E) unhappy
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on September 10, 2018.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1986). *The semantics of ‘internal dative’ in English. Quaderni di Semantica, 7(1), 121-135.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1986). *The semantics of the internal dative – A rejoinder. Quaderni di Semantica, 7(1), 155-165.
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on August 27, 2018.
Goddard, Cliff (1986). The natural semantics of too. Journal of Pragmatics, 10(5), 635-643. DOI: 10.1016/0378-2166(86)90018-4
This paper proposes semantic explications in natural language for some half-dozen constructions employing the English particle of ‘emphatic conjunction’ too. It argues that a range of quite subtle meaning differences can be modelled by applying minor variations of a single basic meaning (roughly, ‘one more … the same’) to different levels of illocutionary structure.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) too
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on June 18, 2019.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1986). Does language reflect culture? Evidence from Australian English. Language in Society, 15, 349-374.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404500011805
Abstract:
This paper attempts to demonstrate direct links between Australian language and other aspects of Australian culture. The existence of such links – intuitively obvious and yet notoriously hard to prove – is often rejected in the name of scientific rigour. Nonetheless, the problem continues to exercise fascination over scholars, as it does over the general public. The author proposes ways in which the linguist’s methodological tools can be sharpened so that the apparently untractable and yet fundamental issues of language as a ‘guide to social reality’ can be studied in ways that are both linguistically precise and culturally revealing. Linguistic phenomena such as expressive derivation, illocutionary devices and speech act verbs are related to the literature on the Australian society, national character, history and culture.
More information:
A more recent publication building on this one is:
Chapter 11 (pp. 373-394) of Wierzbicka, Anna (1992), Semantics, culture, and cognition: Universal human concepts in culture-specific configurations. New York: Oxford University Press.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on June 16, 2019.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1986). Italian reduplication: Cross-cultural pragmatics and illocutionary semantics. Linguistics, 24(2), 287-315.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ling.1986.24.2.287
Abstract:
This article (a study in ethnopragmatics avant la lettre) examines the use and function of syntactic reduplication in Italian. Syntactic reduplication belongs to a system of illocutionary devices that, jointly, reflect some characteristic features of the Italian style of social interaction. Subtle pragmatic meanings such as those conveyed in Italian reduplication can be identified and distinguished from other, related meanings if ad hoc impressionistic comments are replaced with rigorous semantic representations relying on a semantic metalanguage derived from natural language. Comparisons are made with some other intensification devices in Italian and in English, such as the absolute superlative.
Translations:
Into Polish:
Chapter 8 (pp. 270-299) of Wierzbicka, Anna (1999), Język – umysł – kultura [Language, mind, culture]. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
Into Russian:
Chapter 6 (pp. 224-259) of Вежбицкая, Анна (1999), Семантические универсалии и описание языков [Semantic universals and the description of languages]. Москва [Moscow]: Языки русской культуры [Languages of Russian Culture].
More information:
A more recent publication building on this one is chapter 7 (pp. 255-284) of:
Wierzbicka, Anna (1991). Cross-cultural pragmatics: The semantics of human interaction. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
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Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on September 10, 2018.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1986). *The semantics of quantitative particles in Polish and in English. In Andrzej Bogusławski, & Božena Bojar (Eds.), Od kodu do kodu (pp. 175-189). Warsaw: PanÚstwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe.
A more recent publication building on this one is chapter 9 (pp. 341-389) of:
Wierzbicka, Anna (1991, 2003). Cross-cultural pragmatics: The semantics of human interaction. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Published on April 29, 2018. Last updated on October 13, 2018.
Ameka, Felix Kofi (1986). The use and meaning of selected particles in Ewe. MA thesis, Australian National University.
When studying particles – regardless of the language they belong to – it is not enough to describe their distribution and to provide labels. We must go beyond descriptions and, in an attempt to come up with a reliable guide to usage, elucidate the meanings encapsulated in the particles, in a manner that is linguistically precise and as far as permissible culturally and socially revealing. This is the task undertaken in this study, with special reference to the author’s native language, Ewe.
We describe and defend an illocutionary semantic approach to the particles. In essence, we advocate a method of analysis that decomposes the illocutionary forces of particles into their components, which are expressed in a language that is simple and intuitively intelligible. The test for our analysis is that the formulations (explications) should be substitutable for the particles (salvo sensu) in any of their possible uses.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) (particles)
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on June 16, 2019.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1986). The meaning of a case: A study of the Polish dative. In Richard D. Brecht, & James S. Levine (Eds.), Case in Slavic (pp. 386-426). Columbus: Slavica.
Abstract:
The basic assumption of this study is that cases have meaning and that this meaning can be stated in a precise and illuminating way. This is of course also the position advocated and brilliantly implemented by Roman Jakobson. Further assumptions are: (1) that a case has one core meaning, on the basis of which it can be identified cross-linguistically (as, say, ‘dative’ or ‘instrumental’), and a language-specific set of other, related meanings, which have to be specified in the grammatical description of a given language; and (2) that all the meanings of a case — like all other meanings — can be stated in intuitively understandable and intuitively verifiable paraphrases in a semantic metalanguage based on natural language.
More information:
A more recent publication building on this one is chapter 7 (pp. 391-433) of:
Wierzbicka, Anna (1988). The semantics of grammar. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Rating:
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on March 14, 2019.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1986). Two Russian speech act verbs: Lexicography as a key to conceptual and cultural analysis. Folia Slavica, 8(1), 134-159.
Abstract:
This article studies in some detail two characteristic Russian speech act verbs: donosit’ доносить and rugat’ ругать, comparing them with a number of related English verbs. The Russian verbs that were chosen are at once extremely interesting and extremely challenging, from a semantic as well as from a pragmatic point of view. The analysis reveals the precise semantic structure of both verbs and, at the same time, demonstrates the value of the semantic metalanguage on which it relies as a tool for a cross-cultural comparison of speech acts and speech genres.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) ask, (E) condemn, (E) curse, (E) denounce, (E) dob in, (E) donosit' доносить, (E) inform on, (E) order, (E) rebuke, (E) report, (E) reprimand, (E) rugat' ругать, (E) scold, (E) tell tales on, (E) threat, (E) warn, (E) yell at
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on August 19, 2018.
Hudson, Joyce (1986). An analysis of illocutionary verbs in Walmatjari. In George Huttar & Kenneth Gregerson (Eds.), Pragmatics in non-western perspective (pp. 63-83). Dallas: University of Texas at Arlington. PDF (open access)
The twenty-two illocutionary verbs analyzed here represent the main speech acts of Walmatjari, an Australian Aboriginal language spoken along the Fitzroy River in the North of Western Australia. In my description, I follow the approach developed by Wierzbicka (1972, 1980), according to which explications of illocutionary verbs are given in terms of a small set of semantic primitives. The first of the verbs looked at (many) corresponds to the semantic primitive SAY. The others are semantically related to the following list of English verbs: tell, call (out), ask, request, order, respond, refuse, deny, stop, rebuke, prevent, forbid, demand, advise, sing, curse, tease, anger, laugh, talk, scold, quarrel, abuse, scream, confront, speak straight, say what you mean, cause shame, embarrass, stand in, take someone’s part.
Research carried out in consultation with or under the supervision of one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) jakuljula, (E) jangkuman, (E) japirlman, (E) japirlyung, (E) jarrmany, (E) jingnyaka, (E) jinjinyung, (E) jirnapung, (E) jula, (E) kurntayikuji, (E) lirrkarnpung, (E) marra, (E) nganymany, (E) nginarrmany, (E) panypanymany, (E) papajarra, (E) pinajula, (E) pinakangka, (E) pinayungka, (E) purntukang, (E) tajjula, (E) tarrurumany, (E) warralpung, (E) yinpa
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on September 10, 2018.
Harkins, Jean (1986). Semantics and the language learner: Warlpiri particles. Journal of Pragmatics, 10(5), 559-574. DOI: 10.1016/0378-2166(86)90014-7
Particles in Australian Aboriginal languages play a crucial role in conveying complex semantic and pragmatic information, posing some seemingly intractable problems for both the descriptive linguist and the language learner. Looking at some Warlpiri particles used for disclaiming authorship, expressing certainty, casting doubt, limiting an assertion, and suggesting something different, this paper attempts to show how a careful semantic analysis might lead to the formulation of descriptions sufficiently clear and explicit to be of practical use. It is argued that hypotheses as to meaning must be stated explicitly in order that they may be verified, or modified as necessary.
Tags: (E) kapi/u, (E) kari, (E) karinganta, (E) kulanganta, (E) marda, (E) murra, (E) nganta, (E) ngarra, (E) ngayi
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on January 13, 2023.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1987). English speech act verbs: A semantic dictionary. Sydney: Academic Press.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) absolve, (E) abuse, (E) accept, (E) accuse, (E) acknowledge, (E) acquit, (E) add, (E) admit, (E) admonish, (E) advise, (E) advocate, (E) affirm, (E) agree, (E) allow, (E) announce, (E) answer, (E) apologize, (E) appeal, (E) apply, (E) appoint, (E) approve, (E) argue, (E) ask, (E) assert, (E) assure, (E) attack, (E) authorize, (E) baptize, (E) bargain, (E) beg, (E) bemoan, (E) beseech, (E) bet, (E) bewail, (E) blackmail, (E) blame, (E) blaspheme, (E) bless, (E) boast, (E) book, (E) calculate, (E) call, (E) call for, (E) call on, (E) cancel, (E) challenge, (E) charge, (E) chat, (E) christen, (E) claim, (E) command, (E) comment, (E) compare, (E) complain, (E) compliment, (E) concede, (E) conclude, (E) condemn, (E) confess, (E) confide, (E) confirm, (E) congratulate, (E) conjecture, (E) consent, (E) consult, (E) content, (E) contradict, (E) converse, (E) convict, (E) convince, (E) counsel, (E) count, (E) counter, (E) credit, (E) criticize, (E) curse, (E) dare, (E) debate, (E) decide, (E) declare, (E) decline, (E) decree, (E) deduce, (E) defend, (E) defy, (E) demand, (E) denounce, (E) deny, (E) deplore, (E) describe, (E) direct, (E) disagree, (E) disapprove, (E) discuss, (E) dismiss, (E) dispute, (E) dissuade, (E) emphasize, (E) enquire, (E) enthuse, (E) estimate, (E) exclaim, (E) excommunicate, (E) excuse, (E) explain, (E) exult, (E) farewell, (E) forbid, (E) forecast, (E) forgive, (E) gather, (E) give, (E) gossip, (E) grant, (E) greet, (E) guarantee, (E) guess, (E) hint, (E) implore, (E) imply, (E) infer, (E) inform, (E) inform on, (E) inquire, (E) insinuate, (E) insist, (E) instruct, (E) insult, (E) intercede, (E) interrogate, (E) introduce, (E) invite, (E) joke, (E) justify, (E) lament, (E) lecture, (E) maintain, (E) moan, (E) mock, (E) nag, (E) name, (E) narrate, (E) negotiate, (E) note, (E) notify, (E) object, (E) observe, (E) offer, (E) order, (E) pardon, (E) permit, (E) persuade, (E) plead, (E) pledge, (E) point out, (E) praise, (E) predict, (E) prescribe, (E) presume, (E) proclaim, (E) profess, (E) prohibit, (E) promise, (E) pronounce, (E) prophesy, (E) propose, (E) protest, (E) prove, (E) quarrel, (E) query, (E) question, (E) reassure, (E) rebuff, (E) rebuke, (E) recant, (E) recapitulate, (E) reckon, (E) recommend, (E) recount, (E) refuse, (E) refute, (E) reject, (E) relate, (E) remark, (E) remind, (E) renounce, (E) repeat, (E) reply, (E) report, (E) reprimand, (E) reproach, (E) reprove, (E) request, (E) require, (E) reserve, (E) resign, (E) resolve, (E) retort, (E) reveal, (E) ridicule, (E) say goodbye, (E) scold, (E) sentence, (E) speculate, (E) state, (E) stress, (E) suggest, (E) sum up, (E) summarize, (E) summon, (E) suppose, (E) suspect, (E) swear, (E) talk, (E) tell, (E) testify, (E) thank, (E) threaten, (E) urge, (E) veto, (E) volunteer, (E) vote, (E) vouch for, (E) vow, (E) warn, (E) welcome, (E) wish, (E) wonder
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on March 14, 2019.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1987). Predict, prophesy, forecast: Semantics and lexicography. In Roberto Crespo, Bill Dotson Smith, & Henk Schultink (Eds.), Aspects of language. Studies in honour of Mario Alinei: Vol. 2. Theoretical and applied semantics (pp. 509-523). Amsterdam: Rodopi.
Abstract:
It is easy enough to say, as has become trendy in linguistics, that the concepts embodied in the three closely related verbs studied in this paper are linked by ‘family resemblance’, and that the boundaries between them are fuzzy. But where do we proceed from there? How do these words differ from one another? Dictionary users have the right to expect guidance and assistance. Their needs will not be met if a general slogan of ‘fuzziness of human concepts’ is all that the dictionaries of the future can add to the dictionaries of the past.
The present paper is predicated on different assumptions. It assumes that Plato’s golden dream of capturing the invariant, necessary and sufficient components of a given concept was realistic, not utopian. It offers a methodology with the help of which the dream can be fulfilled. That it really can be fulfilled is demonstrated not by abstract discussion but by actually doing what it has been alleged is impossible to do, i.e. by defining the three verbs in such a way that both the similarities and the differences between their meanings are explicitly shown. The tool required to carry out the task is a language-independent semantic metalanguage based on natural language; it makes rigorous comparison possible and at the same time ensures the elimination of the vicious circles that have plagued traditional dictionaries in general, and dictionaries of synonyms and related words in particular.
Research carried out by one or more experienced NSM practitioners
Tags: (E) ask, (E) forecast, (E) order, (E) predict, (E) prophesy
Published on May 12, 2017. Last updated on September 10, 2018.
Wierzbicka, Anna (1987). Boys will be boys: ‘Radical semantics’ vs. ‘radical pragmatics’. Language, 63(1), 95-114.
A more recent publication building on this one is chapter 10 (pp. 391-452) of:
Wierzbicka, Anna (1991, 2003). Cross-cultural pragmatics: The semantics of human interaction. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Colloquial ‘tautologies’ such as War is war or A promise is a promise have often been adduced in support of a ‘Gricean’ account of language use. The present article shows, however, that ‘tautological constructions’ are partly conventional and language-specific, and that each such construction has a specific meaning which cannot be fully predicted in terms of any universal pragmatic maxims. It is argued that the attitudinal meanings conveyed by various tautological constructions and by similar linguistic devices should be stated in rigorous and yet self-explanatory semantic formulae. ‘Radical pragmatics’ is rejected as a blind alley, and an integrated approach to language structure and language use is proposed, based on a coherent semantic theory which is capable of representing ‘objective’ and ‘subjective’ aspects of meaning in a unified framework.
