[Lexicog] Lacunae

[Wayne Leman]

> On 26/04/2004 13:20, Wayne Leman wrote:
>
> > ... I think there is
> > a difference between a lexicalized word that means "to forgive" and a
> > circumlocation or metaphorical expression which communicates the
concept.
> > All ways of expressing a concept need to be recorded in a dictionary,
> > in my
> > opinion, but in this topic thread I have especially been interested in
> > lacunae for actual words for a particular concept. Perhaps this is a
> > non-issue, but it seems to me that there is something to the idea that
not
> > all language groups lexicalize the same concepts, nor have
lexicalizations
> > for all possible concepts.
> >
> Well, when does a metaphorical expression become a lexical entry?

Good question, Peter. I would think a metaphorical expression should be
entered in a dictionary database when it is used and/or understood by enough
people that it has become part of the lexicon of the language. As I said
(above), "All ways of expressing a concept need to be recorded in a
dictionary, in my opinion." In our Cheyenne lexicon, I record all metaphors
which seem to be uses or understood by the majority of Cheyenne speakers. I
also mark those usages in their lexical entries as being metaphorical, so
that users of the dictionary can see the differences between the literal
sense(s) of a lemma and its figurative sense. If I missed your question, go
ahead and ask it again. My brain is fried right now. I made it safely back
home from the reservation college teaching my weekly Cheyenne linguistics
class on Monday night followed by the weekly literacy class. Safely home,
but barely here. I hope bed will bring me back to life again by tomorrow
morning.


>Would
> one say that English has a lacuna for the concept usually expressed by
> the word "member", because it has had to use metaphorically a word which
> originally meant "body part"?

Sorry, I don't understand the question. Are you referring to spam email
messages that use the word "member" to try to fake out the spam filters? If
not, go ahead and ask again, using some paraphrase and I should be able to
understand after I sleep.  :-)

> I ask because in Azerbaijani many abstract
> concepts are expressed in this kind of way, but the metaphors have
> become frozen and perhaps lexicalised expressions.

OK, yes, I'm sure freezing of metaphors is one route for lexicalization.
Cool, isn't it? (Well, cooler than cool, actually! <g>)

Good night,
Natâheovese (I'm going to lie prostrate),
Wayne
-----
Wayne Leman
Cheyenne website: http://www.geocities.com/cheyenne_language

>
> --
> Peter Kirk



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