The semantics of English negative prefixes

192 Pages·2009·2.86 MB·English

by  Zeki Hamawand

The Semantics of English Negative Prefi xes
Dedication
This work is dedicated to the soul of my mother
(1931-2008)
who planted its seeds, supported its progress
but didn’t live to reap its fruits
The Semantics of English Negative
Prefi xes
Zeki Hamawand
University of Hamburg
Published by
UK: Equinox Publishing Ltd., Unit 6, The Village, 101 Amies St.,
London SW11 2JW
USA: DBBC, 28 Main Street, Oakville, CT 06779
www.equinoxpub.com
First published 2009
© Zeki Hamawand 2009
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior
permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 84553 540 7 (hardback)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hamawand, Zeki.
The semantics of English negative prefi xes / Zeki Hamawand.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 978-1-84553-540-7
1. English language--Negatives. I. Title.
PE1359.N44H36 2009
425--dc22
2008046893
Typeset by Catchline, Milton Keynes (www.catchline.com)
Printed and bound in Great Britain and the USA
Contents
List of fi gures ix
List of tables ix
Preface xi
1 Negation 1
1.0 Overview 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Previous endeavours 3
1.2.1 Lexicographical endeavours 4
1.2.2 Grammatical endeavours 5
1.2.3 Morphological endeavours 5
1.3 A new endeavour 6
1.3.1 Axes 7
1.3.2 Goals 10
1.3.3 Steps 11
1.4 Methodology 12
1.4.1 Theoretical method 13
1.4.2 Empirical method 17
1.5 Summary 20
Notes 22
2 Derivation 24
2.0 Overview 24
2.1 Fundamentals 24
2.2 Tasks 25
2.3 Combination 26
2.3.1 The building-block conception 26
2.3.1.1 Representative works 27
2.3.1.2 Combination restrictions 29
2.3.2 The scaffolding conception 31
2.3.2.1 Representative work 32
2.3.2.2 Integration parameters 38
2.4 Interpretation 42
2.4.1 Compositionality 42
2.4.2 Analysability 43
2.5 Summary 45
Notes 47
v
3 Category 49
3.0 Overview 49
3.1 Introduction 49
3.2 Theories of categorisation 50
3.2.1 The classical theory 51
3.2.1.1 Homonymy 52
3.2.1.2 Monosemy 53
3.2.2 The modern theory 54
3.2.2.1 Family resemblance 54
3.2.2.2 Prototype 54
3.3 Negative prefi xes 55
3.3.1 Assumptions 56
3.3.2 Goals 57
3.3.3 Procedures 58
3.4 Prefi xal networks 59
3.4.1 Primary negative prefi xes 60
3.4.1.1 a(n)- 60
3.4.1.2 de- 62
3.4.1.3 dis- 64
3.4.1.4 in- 66
3.4.1.5 non- 68
3.4.1.6 un- 70
3.4.2 Secondary negative prefi xes 72
3.4.2.1 anti- 73
3.4.2.2 contra- 75
3.4.2.3 counter- 76
3.4.2.4 mal- 77
3.4.2.5 mis- 78
3.4.2.6 pseudo- 79
3.4.2.7 quasi- 81
3.4.2.8 sub- 82
3.4.2.9 under- 83
3.5 Summary 84
Notes 87
4 Domain 89
4.0 Overview 89
4.1 Introduction 89
4.2 Theories of lexical relationships 90
4.2.1 The dictionary theory 91
4.2.1.1 Semantic Field 91
4.2.1.2 Componential Analysis 92
vi
4.2.2 The encyclopaedic theory 93
4.2.2.1 Frame Semantics 94
4.2.2.2 Cognitive Domain 94
4.3 Negative prefi xes 95
4.3.1 Assumptions 96
4.3.2 Goals 97
4.3.3 Procedures 98
4.4 Prefi xal domains 99
4.4.1 The domain of distinction 99
4.4.2 The domain of opposition 104
4.4.3 The domain of privation 108
4.4.4 The domain of removal 111
4.4.5 The domain of reversal 113
4.4.6 The domain of treatment 116
4.5 Summary 120
Notes 121
5 Construal 123
5.0 Overview 123
5.1 Introduction 123
5.2 Theories of interpretation 124
5.2.1 Reference theory 124
5.2.2 Conceptualist theory 125
5.3 Negatively-prefi xed constructions 126
5.3.1 Assumptions 127
5.3.2 Goals 128
5.3.3 Procedures 129
5.4 Operative construals 130
5.4.1 Intra-domain construals 130
5.4.1.1 The domain of distinction 130
5.4.1.1.1 non- vs. a- 131
5.4.1.1.2 non- vs. dis- 132
5.4.1.1.3 non- vs. un- 132
5.4.1.1.4 non- vs. in- 133
5.4.1.1.5 a- vs. un- 134
5.4.1.1.6 a- vs. in- 135
5.4.1.1.7 dis- vs. un- 136
5.4.1.1.8 un- vs. in- 136
5.4.1.2 The domain of opposition: anti- vs. counter- 138
5.4.1.3 The domain of privation: dis- vs. un- 139
5.4.1.4 The domain of removal: de- vs. un- 140
5.4.1.5 The domain of reversal: de- vs. un- 141
5.4.1.6 The domain of treatment: mis- vs. mal- 142
vii
5.4.2 Inter-domain construals 144
5.4.2.1 non- vs. anti- 144
5.4.2.2 un- vs. de- 145
5.4.2.3 un- vs. mis- 146
5.4.2.4 dis- vs. mis- 146
5.4.2.5 un- vs. dis- 147
5.4.2.6 dis- vs. mis- 148
5.5 Summary 148
Notes 150
6 Conclusion 153
6.0 Overview 153
6.1 Introduction 153
6.2 The category axis of morphology 154
6.3 The domain axis of morphology 159
6.4 The construal axis of morphology 161
6.5 Discussion 162
References 167
Indexes 177
Linguistic terms 175
Negative prefi xes 177
Word pairs 178
viii
List of fi gures
Figure 1: The semantic network of the negative prefi x ab- 14
Figure 2: The domain of degradation 16
Figure 3: The construal of the conceptual content normal 17
Figure 4: The semantic network of the negative prefi x semi- 35
Figure 5: The domain of inadequacy 37
Figure 6: The construal of the conceptual content religious 39
Figure 7: The semantic network of the negative prefi x a(n)- 62
Figure 8: The semantic network of the negative prefi x de- 64
Figure 9: The semantic network of the negative prefi x dis- 66
Figure 10: The semantic network of the negative prefi x in- 68
Figure 11: The semantic network of the negative prefi x non- 70
Figure 12: The semantic network of the negative prefi x un- 72
Figure 13: The semantic network of the negative prefi x anti- 74
Figure 14: The semantic network of the negative prefi x contra- 75
Figure 15: The semantic network of the negative prefi x counter- 77
Figure 16: The semantic network of the negative prefi x mal- 78
Figure 17: The semantic network of the negative prefi x mis- 79
Figure 18: The semantic network of the negative prefi x pseudo- 80
Figure 19: The semantic network of the negative prefi x quasi- 81
Figure 20: The semantic network of the negative prefi x sub- 83
Figure 21: The semantic network of the negative prefi x under- 84
Figure 22: The domain of distinction 104
Figure 23: The domain of opposition 108
Figure 24: The domain of privation 110
Figure 25: The domain of removal 113
Figure 26: The domain of reversal 116
Figure 27: The domain of treatment 120
List of tables
Table 1: A morphological sketch of the primary negative prefi xes 155
Table 2: A morphological sketch of the secondary negative prefi xes 155
Table 3: A semantic sketch of the primary negative prefi xes 156
Table 4: A semantic sketch of the secondary negative prefi xes 158
Table 5: The domains evoked by the primary negative prefi xes 160
Table 6: The domains evoked by the secondary negative prefi xes 161
ix