The polysemy of selected motion verbs in Sesotho

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The subject of this study is the polysemy of the motion verbs in Sesotho. Motion verbs can beclassified as verbs of process or transition. This study examines the semantic and the syntacticproperties of motion verbs in Sesotho. These motion verbs include verbs denoting process e.g. -ya,-tla, -tsamaya, -baleha, -nyoloha and -theoha as shown in the sentences below:a. Monna 0 ya toropong.'The man goes to town'b. Bashanyana ba tsamaya thoteng.'The boys walk in the veld'c. Bana ba tla hae.'The children come home'd. Bashemane ba balehile mophatong.'The initiates run away from the initiation school'e. Tshwene e theoha sefateng.'The baboon descends from the tree'f. Banna ba nyoloha thaba.'Men ascend the mountain'The study demonstrates that motion verbs in Sesotho are semantically divided into verbs denoting'to go' e.g. -ya, verbs denoting 'to walk', e.g. -tsamaya, verbs denoting 'to run away', e.g. -baleha,verbs denoting to ascend, e.g. -nyoloha, verbs denoting to descend, e.g. -theoha.The study further demonstrates that these verbs are canonically intransitive. The study providesevidence that motion verbs are characterized by specific selection restrictions and event structures.The study further demonstrates that motion verbs are used with different subjects denoting (groupsof) people, animals, abstract nouns, mass nouns, nouns denoting food, intoxicating and nonintoxicatingliquids, natural phenomena, artifacts, natural object, possession/property, humans andanimals. Lastly the lexical conceptual paradigm, providing the different word senses of each verb,is examined.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University