[Lexicog] Oh-oh! Typology, Reduplicatives & Lexemes

Tue Jul 3 19:28:41 UTC 2007

Dear Scott,

The only note I would like to make is that lexicography 
deals only with one type of communication, namely 
verbal communication.
The signs, the  whistles, the noises, the gestures even they are a part of communication, they are no verbal communication. Only minimal part of
this which has high frequency enters to the dictionaries as interjections, 
some of them (like `ta-ta') can be entered as slang expressions.
For the big works treating combinations of words and idioms there is a
special sub-genre of dictionaries, I have in mind monolingual or bilingual phraseological dictionaries.

Hayim Y. Sheynin

bolstar1 <bolstar1 at yahoo.com> wrote:                                  Hayim, Fritz, John, et al: 
        I mentioned that it is rather a tricky business categorizing 
 precise types of fixed phrases, as falling necessarily into one camp, 
 but not another. It becomes a question of typological imperative 
 (e.g. spacing for a particular publication), consensus among 
 lexicographers/linguists, intention of speaker, and usefulness to the 
 masses. The balance in making typological units concise – yet 
 inclusive -- is also tricky. 
        This list exemplifies (though is far from comprehensive) the 
 point. I listed only emphatic reduplication  organized around  1) the 
 nine main parts of speech – verbs, (modals), participles, adverbs, 
 nouns, pronouns, adjectives, prepositions, interjections, and 
 articles (only conjunctions are omitted) and  2) around repeated 
 forms of reduplication (among the other forms mentioned). 
         Some of these reduplicates are used also for writing out 
 phonetically-suggestive words (or sounds), 'echoing'. For example, an 
 echoic morph for the morpheme meaning "disapproval or annoyance" can 
 be the reduplicative `tsk-tsk', or `tut-tut' (perhaps a "lexeme" as 
 has been referred to lately)  – and best being categorized as either  
 1) a verb in the imperative mood – implied meaning of "Don't do 
 that." Or  2) a verb in the indicative mood, meaning  "I am 
 disappointed in that!" Hence the `underlying "mood "of the verb (not 
 mood of the person) is up for grabs here. Or it could be categorized 
 as  3) an interjection – simply expressing disapproval, or an emotive 
 reaction, with no necessary lexical meat on its bones. If the 
 intention of the speaker had a truly "imperative" mood, then another 
 category would fit, or be warranted, or be assumed.  
        A token morph for the morpheme/lexeme `farewell' can be spoken 
 and written as `ta-ta' (not emphatic, but demonstrating the point 
 still). On the other hand, a "sort-of word" (a whistle) for the 
 morpheme that expresses approval – as when a construction worker sees 
 an attractive woman walking by -- could be the reduplicative 'srrr-
 whistle' with a rising whistle-tone
immediately followed by the `srrr-
 whistle' descending whistle-tone. Whether in spoken or in written 
 form, they need categorizing. An all-inclusive group for that would 
 be simply a reduplicative. But under that paradigm could be included 
 non-verbal reduplicatives. The operative question here is whether 
 there are enough of those non-verbal reduplicative emotive lexemes to 
 warrant a whole category. Sure there are, if one wants to group them. 
 (There are more of those, like "Uh-hu!" and "Uh-uh!" and "Oh-oh! 
 And "Sheesh!           

 Verbs  

 never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity (i.e. not take 
 advantage of things)
 If I've told you once, I've told you a million times. (or '...a 
 thousand times)

 (Either) put up or shut up!  

 pooh-pooh....(something)   

 talk the talk (and walk the walk) 
 (If you talk the talk, walk the walk!  

 Whatever will be, will be.  

 Whatever happens, happens. 

 Wink, wink. (interjection & nonverbal communication)  

 tut-tut someone (verb)

 Modals   
 If I can do it, you can do it.  
 If I can do it, anyone can do it.   
 If we can send a man (men) to the moon, we can...  
 If they can put a man on the moon...   
 I would if I could but I can't.   

 Participles   
 I'm dying if I'm lying.  
 If I'm lying, I'm dying.   
 keep on keeping on   
 "And it's a high fly ball to deep left field...going...going...gone!"

 Adverbs   
 over and over (again)  
 "I've told you over and and over about that!" 

blah, blah, blah.   
 et cetera, et cetera.   
 hurry-scurry  

 Hamlet 2.02.311-315

 "What a piece of work is a
 man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties,  
 in form and moving how express and admirable, in
 action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a
 god: 
"
 It ain't over till it's over.   
 Never say never!   
 Never up, never in. (i.e. If the golf ball doesn't even reach the 
 hole, it can't go IN the hole.) 
 talk.../go.../rattle... on and on (about....(something)  

 time after time
 time and time again  

 The more things change, the more they stay the same.  

 The more you get, the more you want.   

 Nouns   
 (that's) a no-no  

 a slim Jim
 Slim Jims  ™ 

 Surprise, surprise. (ironic tone)

 (Let's) call a spade a spade.  

 Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better. (noun & 
 adjective forms)

 fight fire with fire  

 Location, location, location. (the key to successful real estate 
 planning)

 out-Herod Herod (someone) (proper noun used as a verb (function)) 

 Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.   

 What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.  

 Pronouns  

 Everyone who's anyone (will be there).

 not for nothing (did I...) (slang) 

 'Everybody's' business is 'nobody's' business.  

 (for) you and you alone. 

 I'm rubber, you're glue; what bounces off me sticks to you. 
 (rhyme)       

 Adjectives  

 Desperate diseases desperate remedies.  

 a rootin'-tootin'.... 
 a rooting-tooting
; 
 a rootin', tootin', shootin'
)  

 a blankety-blank....(something) (expletive deleted) 

 a super-duper....(something)  

 First things first.  

 (just) hunky-dory  
 Everything's junky-dory.  

 Same old same old.  
 Same ol', same ol'.  

 (went) sky-high  

 Some men are born great, some men achievement, some men have 
 greatness thrust upon them. (Shakespeare) 

 Prepositions  

 In for a penny, in for a pound. (& alliteration) 

 betwixt and between (two things)

 a little of this and a little of that

 Interjections  

 Hell's bells!  
 Hell's bells and buckets of blood!  

 Here, here!  

 Hubba-hubba!  

 Well, well. If it isn't....(someone).  

 tsk-tsk someone (verb)

 Tsk-tsk! 

 Tut-tut! 

 Articles  

's the name, 
's the game. (definite article & rhyme)  

 The more the merrier. (definite article -- 'the' & alliteration) 

 Where there's a will there's a way. (indefinite article 'a' & pronoun 
 & alliteration) 

 -- Have fun "typing" these. There are many more where they came 
 from. 

 Scott N.

---------------------------------
Ready for the edge of your seat? Check out tonight's top picks on Yahoo! TV. 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lexicography/attachments/20070703/556199dc/attachment.htm>