| dc.description.abstract | This study is aligned with the linguistic tradition that is known as cognitive linguistics, and in particular cognitive grammar as a subpart within cognitive linguistics. The study aims to be part of the realisation of Ronald W. Langacker's general vision for cognitive grammar, viz: to explore different phenomena in different languages in order to test the power of cognitive grammar. In essence, this research is therefore an attempt to translate cognitive grammar into and for Afrikaans and to adjust it in such a way that it can be evaluated if it offers any gains for an improved understanding of particular linguistic phenomena. 1bis thesis focuses on grammatical constructions, specifically the reduplication construction in Afrikaans.
Two general objectives are formulated in this study, viz' to investigate if the use of a cognitive usage-based model for the description of the reduplication construction in Afrikaans has any advantages for the development of cognitive grammar; and to investigate if the understanding of the reduplication construction in Afrikaans can be enhanced through the application of the cognitive usage-based descriptive model.
To reach the first objective, the theoretical instruments necessary to describe a grammatical construction are explicated To situate the cognitive usage-based descriptive model within the broader paradigm, a description is given of those theoretical and methodological assumptions and points of departure of cognitive linguistics that pertain to the model proposed in this thesis. In addition, certain basic concepts (i.e. entities, domains and cognitive abilities) that are required for the descriptive model are discussed, in order to explicate the usage-based descriptive model.
The basic assumption is that the repeated application of a few basic cognitive abilities, which occur in different combinations on different levels of organisation,
lead to cognitive assemblies of immense complexity. In this way, large networks come into being, in which structures with differing levels of entrenchment and schematisation are linked to each other in relationships of categorisation, composition and symbolisation.
It is argued that it is necessary to describe grammatical constructions by means of these general cognitive abilities of composition, categorisation, schematisation and entrenchment, because grammatical constructions are regarded as structures that emerge from the data via the basic cognitive processes of schematisation and categorisation.
To reach the second objective, the reduplication construction In Afrikaans is described and explained. This construction is analysed in terms of the composition of reduplications, the categorisation network of the reduplication construction and the status of the construction in Afrikaans (in terms of schematisation and entrenchment). During the course of the description and discussion, the gains of such a cognitive description (compared to other, generative or structuralist, descriptions) are identified. The general conclusion that is reached is that the reduplication construction in Afrikaans is an extremely complex construction, which can only be understood better through comprehensive, data-driven analyses. | |
