(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1998-03) Bosman, Hendrina Johanna; Gouws, R. H.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Afrikaans & Dutch.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study examines a subset of the Afrikaans lexicon,
namely multiword lexical items like the following: met
behulp van, op een na, met die deur in die huis val, om
die bos lei, die swaard van Damokles, ad hoc, kant en
wal.
A description is given of the concepts lexical item and
multiword lexical item. It is shown that multiword
lexical items possess characteristics like fixedness,
idiomaticity and lexicalization in different degrees.
The theoretical framework of the study is that of
cognitive grammar. The cognitive semantics approach is
contrasted with that of structural and generative
grammar. It is shown that the semantics of multiword
lexical items can best be described within the theory of
motivation of cognitive semantics by studying the
motivatedness of a few idioms and particle verbs in
Afrikaans.
The study concludes with a classification of the
multiword lexical items in Afrikaans.