[Lexicog] Discovering the lexicon via semantic domains

[R. Rankin]

>> Have you
> > found techniques to successfully get the number of valid lexical
> > entries up to the neighborhood of 15,000-25,000, . . .

> CM: Gee, I thought 3,189 was a good amount! I suppose if we added all the
> possible derivational affixes on all verbs we could up it some..

True enough.  Lots of these would be nonsense words that have never seen
use,
but perhaps potential words nevertheless.  In Siouan languages there are 8
or 10
instrumental prefixes (by hand, by foot, by mouth, by striking, by heat or
cold,
etc.)  that you can add to any verb stem.  That doesn't mean the result will
make sense of course.  I think it pays to go through each one with speakers
though, because some will have undergone semantic change and have very
specific
and unexpected meanings.  For example in Kaw /-γã/ is the notion of
'blowing';
the prefix /bi-/ is 'by pressure', but the meaning of the construct is
specifically 'break wind', not 'blow by pressure in any context', and it
wouldn't do to try to use it that way.  I sort of sympathize with those who
want
to see a word actually used in a text -- or at least spontaneously used by
fluent speakers.  I sure don't know of a way to do it in a short while.

Bob




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