Diachrony and the polysemy of derivational affixes
-
Giorgio Francesco Arcodia
Abstract
In this paper we discuss two cases of seemingly polysemous derivational affixes: the Ewe suffix -ví, originally a noun meaning “child”, which has acquired a number of different semantic values in word formation, as e.g. “inexperienced” (núfíáláví “inexperienced teacher”) or “person who adheres to the typical behaviour of a group” (amredzóví “someone who behaves like a foreigner”, and the Mandarin Chinese suffix -bā, originally a lexical morph meaning “bar”, which also helps to form locative nouns conveying a broad range of meanings, as e.g. in yóuxìbā (game-bā) “amusement arcade” or in yǎnbā (eye-bā), a kind of optometry clinic. We shall show that apparent polysemy may be a consequence of generalization, rather than of specialization in meaning, and that the mechanisms involved in the evolution of derivational affixes are mostly analogous to those of grammaticalisation.
Abstract
In this paper we discuss two cases of seemingly polysemous derivational affixes: the Ewe suffix -ví, originally a noun meaning “child”, which has acquired a number of different semantic values in word formation, as e.g. “inexperienced” (núfíáláví “inexperienced teacher”) or “person who adheres to the typical behaviour of a group” (amredzóví “someone who behaves like a foreigner”, and the Mandarin Chinese suffix -bā, originally a lexical morph meaning “bar”, which also helps to form locative nouns conveying a broad range of meanings, as e.g. in yóuxìbā (game-bā) “amusement arcade” or in yǎnbā (eye-bā), a kind of optometry clinic. We shall show that apparent polysemy may be a consequence of generalization, rather than of specialization in meaning, and that the mechanisms involved in the evolution of derivational affixes are mostly analogous to those of grammaticalisation.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
-
Editors’ introduction
- Morphology and meaning 3
-
Plenary papers
- Roots, concepts, and word structure 49
- Between word formation and meaning change 71
- Indirect coding 97
-
Section papers
- Diachrony and the polysemy of derivational affixes 127
- Possessive compounds in Slavic and the Principle of Integrated Meronymy 141
- Relation diversity and ease of processing for opaque and transparent English compounds 153
- Inflection vs. derivation 163
- Discrepancy between form and meaning in word-formation 177
- Compounds vs. phrases 191
- Semantic transparency, compounding, and the nature of independent variables 205
- The layering of form and meaning in creole word-formation 223
- Semantic headedness and categorization of - cum - compounds 239
- German plural doublets with and without meaning differentiation 249
- On the form and meaning of double noun incorporation 259
- Tuning morphosemantic transparency by shortening 275
- Root transparency and the morphology-meaning interface 289
- Mimetic verbs and meaning 303
- Mismatch verbs 315
- The canonical function of the deponent verbs in modern Greek 331
- Language index 345
- Subject index 347
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
-
Editors’ introduction
- Morphology and meaning 3
-
Plenary papers
- Roots, concepts, and word structure 49
- Between word formation and meaning change 71
- Indirect coding 97
-
Section papers
- Diachrony and the polysemy of derivational affixes 127
- Possessive compounds in Slavic and the Principle of Integrated Meronymy 141
- Relation diversity and ease of processing for opaque and transparent English compounds 153
- Inflection vs. derivation 163
- Discrepancy between form and meaning in word-formation 177
- Compounds vs. phrases 191
- Semantic transparency, compounding, and the nature of independent variables 205
- The layering of form and meaning in creole word-formation 223
- Semantic headedness and categorization of - cum - compounds 239
- German plural doublets with and without meaning differentiation 249
- On the form and meaning of double noun incorporation 259
- Tuning morphosemantic transparency by shortening 275
- Root transparency and the morphology-meaning interface 289
- Mimetic verbs and meaning 303
- Mismatch verbs 315
- The canonical function of the deponent verbs in modern Greek 331
- Language index 345
- Subject index 347
