Deverbal Nominals in Xhosa

DEVERBAL NOMINALS IN XHOSA BY LOYISO KEVIN MLETSHE Dissertation presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (African Languages) at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Prof M.W. Visser DECEMBER 2010 ii DECLARATION By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained therein is my own, original work, that I am the owner of the copyright thereof (unless to the extent explicitly otherwise stated) and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification. Date: November 2010 Copyright © 2010 Stellenbosch University All rights reserved iii ABSTRACT The relationship between deverbative noun classification and their effect on the semantic meaning of the derived deverbal nominal has been the focus of many studies in linguistics, with special reference to African languages in recent years. The study maintains that the descriptive analysis of deverbal nominals in African languages does not fully interrogate the predicate argument structures of the verbs that host these deverbal nominals. This thesis is an investigation of how the syntactic properties of verbs from which deverbal nouns are derived are invoked in explaining the argument structure and event structure properties of deverbal nouns, particularly in Xhosa. The analysis presented here is situated in terms of a lexical semantic representation drawing on Pustejovsky (1996) and Busa (1996), which aims to capture linguistically relevant components of meaning. Chapter 1 presents the purpose and aims of the study, and states the theoretical paradigm on which this study is couched, namely Pustejovsky’s (1996) generative lexicon theory as well as the methodology for conducting the research. Chapter 2 contains a literature review on deverbal nominals in African languages. This chapter explores the general definitions of concepts, the descriptive nature of deverbal nominals from various African languages, noun classification and the morphology of African nouns. Chapter 3 reports on an examination of the generative lexicon theory. This theory contains multiple levels of representation for different types of lexical information required, namely the argument structure, the event structure, the qualia structure and the lexical inherent structure. For the purposes of this study, the first three levels of representation were used for analysis. Chapter 4 contains the systematic classification of deverbal nominals that are derived from various semantic verb classes and are considered under their derivation from intransitive, transitive and di-transitive verbs, respectively. The first lexical schematic representation for each verb class gives a classification of various deverbal noun classes 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 14 in instances where the noun class applies. The second schematic representation details how these various verb classes are classified/categorised in terms of their semantic type. There are iv various noun class nominalisations for each verb class, which serve as a representative for each group of the various verb classes. Chapter 5 provides a detailed analysis of various deverbal nouns derived from different verb classes utilising the generative lexicon theory as a source of reference, particularly the first three levels of representation. The compositionality and the semanticality of derived nominals within the predicate argument structures are demonstrated. Chapter 6 summarises the findings of all previous chapters in this study. v OPSOMMING Die verhouding tussen die klassifikasie van deverbatiewe selfstandige naamwoorde en hul uitwerking op die semantiese betekenis van die afgeleide deverbatiewe nominaal was die fokus van talle studies in linguistiek, met spesiale verwysing na Afrikatale in die afgelope jare. Hierdie studie doen aan die hand dat die deskriptiewe analise van deverbatiewe nominale in Afrikatale nie die predikaat-argumentstrukture van die werkwoorde wat hierdie deverbatiewe nominale bevat, ondersoek nie. Die tesis behels ’n ondersoek na die manier waarop die sintaktiese eienskappe van werkwoorde waaruit deverbatiewe selfstandige naamwoorde afgelei word, aangewend word om die argumentstruktuur- en gebeurestruktuureienskappe van deverbatiewe selfstandige naamwoorde, veral in Xhosa, te verklaar. Die analise is gegrond op ’n leksikaal-semantiese ontlening aan Pustejovsky (1996) en Busa (1996), met die doel om linguisties toepaslike betekeniskomponente vas te lê. In hoofstuk 1 word die doel en doelstellings van die studie uiteengesit, asook die teoretiese paradigma waarop die studie berus, naamlik Pustejovsky (1996) se generatieweleksikon- teorie. Die navorsingsmetodologie word ook in hierdie hoofstuk uiteengesit. Hoofstuk 2 bevat ’n literatuuroorsig oor deverbatiewe nominale in Afrikatale. In hierdie hoofstuk word ondersoek ingestel na die algemene definisies van konsepte, die beskrywende aard van deverbatiewe nominale in verskeie Afrikatale, die klassifikasie van selfstandige naamwoorde asook die morfologie van selfstandige naamwoorde in Afrikatale. In hoofstuk 3 word verslag gedoen oor die ondersoek van die generatieweleksikon-teorie. Hierdie teorie bevat veelvuldige vlakke van verteenwoordiging vir verskillende soorte leksikale inligting wat vereis word, naamlik die argumentstruktuur, die gebeurestruktuur, die qualiastruktuur en die leksikaal-inherente struktuur. Vir die doel van hierdie studie is op die eerste drie vlakke van verteenwoordiging tydens die analise gefokus. Hoofstuk 4 bevat die stelselmatige klassifikasie van deverbatiewe nominale wat uit verskeie semantiese werkwoordklasse afkomstig is, en oorweging geniet op grond van hul afstamming van onderskeidelik intransitiewe, transitiewe en ditransitiewe werkwoorde. Die eerste leksikaal-skematiese verteenwoordiging vir elke werkwoordklas gee ’n klassifikasie van verskeie klasse van deverbatiewe selfstandige naamwoorde, naamlik 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11 en 14, in gevalle waar die selfstandigenaamwoordklas van toepassing is. Die tweede skematiese vi verteenwoordiging sit uiteen hoe hierdie verskillende werkwoordklasse in terme van hul semantiese soort geklassifiseer/gekategoriseer word. Daar is verskeie nominaliserings vir selfstandigenaamwoordklasse vir elke werkwoordklas, wat as ’n verteenwoordiging vir elke groep van die onderskeie werkwoordklasse dien. Hoofstuk 5 bevat ’n gedetailleerde analise van verskeie deverbatiewe selfstandige naamwoorde wat uit verskillende werkwoordklasse afgelei is met behulp van die generatieweleksikon-teorie as ’n verwysingsbron, spesifiek die eerste drie vlakke van verteenwoordiging. Die samestelling en semantiek van afgeleide nominale in die predikaatargument-strukture word ten toon gestel. Hoofstuk 6 bevat ’n opsomming van die bevindinge in die voorafgaande hoofstukke. vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my supervisor, Prof M.W. Visser, I doubt I will ever be able to show how grateful I really am for her constant supervision in making this study a success. Her wise counsel, wisdom and encylopedic knowledge of the field of linguistics were instrumental in the completion of this dissertation. It is really true that diamond comes in small packages. It is with a profound sense of humility that I say to my supervisor, ENKOSI. To the staff of the African Languages Department, Stellenbosch University, you made my stay there during my study leave as comfortable as ever, for that, I thank you. Thanks are also due to Dr M. Dlali for his constant encouragement throughout the year I was busy with my writing. I cannot forget to shower with appreciation the pulse of the African Languages Department, Mrs Surena Du Plessis, for all her assistance and for synchronizing this work into what it is. The University of the Western Cape deserves my gratitude for facilitating my study leave. Had it not been for the relief from my daily lectures, the writing of my dissertation would have been mission impossible. I would also like to thank my uncle, Mr A.B Stuurman, who was the first person to sow the seed in me to pursue studies at university. He nurtured me throughout my secondary and university education to be what I am today. Lume, the seed has germinated. To my children, Luthando, Zintle and Loyiso Junior, who was born during the critical time of my writing of this dissertation and saw very little me as I was focusing on my writings. I am truly sorry for spending less time with you. I hope that one day you will understand why you saw little of me at times. Last but by no means least, throughout the writing of this dissertation my wife, Ntombodidi, MaMcethe, without whom this effort would have been worth nothing has been unwavering in her support, as she unselfishly took care of our children, became the source of my support and strength. For that mfazi wakwaRhadebe, I owe you my deepest gratitude. Ikhazi lakwaRhadebe alilahlekanga apha kuwe. viii DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to my children Luthando, Zintle and Loyiso Junior. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ..............................................................................................................ii ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................... iii OPSOMMING ..................................................................................................................v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................vii DEDICATION .............................................................................................................

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