A Comprehensive Comparison of Lexemes in the ... - SIL International
A Comprehensive Comparison of Lexemes in the ... - SIL International
A Comprehensive Comparison of Lexemes in the ... - SIL International
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14<br />
2.1.2.2 Idioms and abstract ideas with different base words<br />
Idioms and compound words may fur<strong>the</strong>r skew <strong>the</strong> percentage <strong>of</strong> lexical<br />
similarity between any two languages. Therefore, a brief list consist<strong>in</strong>g only <strong>of</strong><br />
simple words based on survey data may reveal many cognates, while one—such<br />
as this study—which is based on data from dictionaries and discourse analyses<br />
rich <strong>in</strong> idioms and compound words may reveal that <strong>the</strong> languages are quite<br />
dissimilar.<br />
For example, s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong> base word for ‘taboo’ is different <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> various<br />
languages, any idioms based on that word will be different as well. One such<br />
idiom is an idiom for ‘<strong>of</strong>f limits; genitals,’ which is ‘th<strong>in</strong>g’ + ‘taboo.’ S<strong>in</strong>ce ‘taboo’<br />
is lexically dissimilar <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Tanna languages, <strong>the</strong> idiom will be dissimilar too, as<br />
shown <strong>in</strong> example (13).<br />
(13) <strong>of</strong>f-limits; genitals N<br />
Kwamera: nari ik<strong>in</strong>an<br />
Lenakel: nat ausim<br />
N Tanna: nat asim<br />
SW Tanna: nar rhakə<br />
Vaha: nat thakə<br />
Whitesands: naji asim<br />
Likewise, s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong> base lexeme for ‘carry <strong>in</strong> one hand’ is not a cognate <strong>in</strong><br />
Tanna languages, all <strong>the</strong> compound words based on it will be different as well.<br />
This is shown <strong>in</strong> example (14) with <strong>the</strong> idiom ‘get for free,’ which is formed by<br />
comb<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g ‘carry <strong>in</strong> one hand’ + ‘commonplace.’<br />
(14) get for free V<br />
Kwamera:<br />
Lenakel:<br />
N Tanna:<br />
SW Tanna:<br />
Vaha:<br />
Whitesands:<br />
vehi ouər a<br />
os apnapɨn<br />
os apnapɨn<br />
vəh apnapɨg<br />
vah apnapɨg<br />
os apnapɨn<br />
Even if <strong>the</strong> base lexemes are cognates, how <strong>the</strong>y are used <strong>in</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
with o<strong>the</strong>r words to make abstract mean<strong>in</strong>gs may vary from language to language.<br />
For example, as shown <strong>in</strong> example (15), <strong>the</strong> base word nim̃ə ‘house’ <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> idiom<br />
‘shelter’ is a cognate <strong>in</strong> all languages except N Tanna. However, <strong>in</strong> Kwamera, SW<br />
Tanna, and Vaha, ‘shelter’ is made by comb<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g ‘house’ + ‘pulled toward,’<br />
whereas <strong>in</strong> Lenakel and Whitesands <strong>the</strong> lexeme for ‘shelter’ is made by comb<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
‘house’ + ‘on <strong>the</strong> ground,’ while N Tanna has a unique entry for ‘shelter.’
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