[Lexicog] Basic Question about Determining Semantics of Adpositions....

[Ronald Moe]

Hi Heather,

I would recommend that you look at the FrameNet
(http://framenet.icsi.berkeley.edu/) website. It lists a variety of lexical
sets that share a common set of semantic case roles. Each case role is
marked in the grammar by a variety of surface forms (word order, affixes, or
adpositions). The study of adpositions is essentially noting which semantic
case roles are marked by each adposition. The meaning of an adposition is
specific to each verb, noun, or adjective that it is used with. For instance
"We drove *by* your house but didn't stop." (movement past a point) "I'll
send the document *by* fax." (the means of sending something) "The window is
two feet *by* three feet." (dimensions/measurement) "A book *by* Agatha
Christy." (creator/author) "This job is difficult *by* any standard." (scale
used to rank attributes)

 

Your dictionary (ideally) should indicate the frame of each verb and how
each case is marked grammatically. You can do this in the definition or
using example sentences. For instance:

 

drain v. (1) For a liquid (such as water) to empty *out of/from* a container
(by flowing through a hole or exit point). 'The water drained *from* the
sink.' (2) For a container to empty (that is, to have a hole or exit point
through which a liquid flows). 'The sink is draining slowly.' (3) For a hole
or exit point to provide a way for liquid to flow from a container. 'This
pipe drains the sink.' (4) For someone to empty a liquid *out of/from* a
container liquid (by causing it to flow out of a hole or exit point). 'The
plumber drained the water *from* the sink.' (5) For someone to empty a
container *of* a liquid (by causing it to flow out of a hole or exit point).
'The plumber drained the sink *of* water.'

 

It is often difficult to indicate the case frame of a verb in the
definition. So it is almost always necessary to indicate it in an example
sentence. Otherwise the definition becomes long or requires unnatural
wording.

 

In a bilingual dictionary you can often insert an adposition into the
definition. In the following definition (from my Greek dictionary) the "para
or Dative" indicates that "someone" is marked by the preposition "para" or
the Dative case:

 

adunateo v. (For something) to be impossible for (para or Dative) someone.

 

I realize this is deep linguistic theory. I hope it is sufficiently clear.

Ron Moe

 

  _____  

From: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
[mailto:lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Heather Souter
Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 2:21 PM
To: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Lexicog] Basic Question about Determining Semantics of
Adpositions....

 

  

Taanshi, hello,

 

I am interested in where I could find information (preferably accessible
online) on what questions to keep in mind when looking at sentences
containing adpositions in an underdocumented language.  I have some ideas
about what to look for by looking and comparing collocations, but I would
like to be systematic and do work that would be considered at least "decent"
work by a professional linguist.    I am working on my own heritage language
but have done no linguistics courses(yet!) in either semantics or
lexicography....  Your help would be appreciated.

 

Kihci-marsii!  Thank-you very much!

 

Eekoshi pitamaa. That is it for now!

Heather Souter

Camperville, MB, Canada

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