How is the meaning of complex lexemes constructed ? - A study of neoclassical compounds in French
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How is the meaning of complex lexemes
constructed ?
A study of neoclassical compounds in French
Marine LASSERRE & Fabio MONTERMINI
CLLE-ERSS, University of Toulouse & CNRS
1 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Summary
1. Introduction : the construction of meaning in
complex lexemes
2. Neoclassical compounds
3. The data
4. Complex lexemes: a semantic network
5. Conclusion
2 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13The construction of meaning in
complex lexemes
rule-based approaches
rules are:
selective
deterministic
construction of the meaning of complex lexemes : local
relation between the derivate and its base
3 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13The construction of meaning in
complex lexemes
pattern-based approaches
more flexible
observation of the existing lexicon
“regular polysemy approach”, construction morphology
(Booij 2010)
onomasiological approaches (Štekauer 1996, Rainer 2012)
lexical approaches (Roché 2010)
4 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13The construction of meaning in
complex lexemes
Word formation patterns
inserting a new complex word into a lexical network, to
which other words constructed by the same WFP also belong
dynamic model of morphological derivation
other words in the lexicon = models
5 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Neoclassical compounds
At least one constituent which is of Ancient Greek or Latin origin
(“combining form”: CF)
(1)
anthropophage man+eat ‘anthropophagous’ (Greek)
homicide man+kill ‘homicide’ (Latin)
In French : inverted head-determiner order
(2)
homicide man+kill ‘homicide’
vs.
homme-grenouille man+frog ‘frogman’
6 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Neoclassical compounds
Linking vowel
(3)
anthropophage man+eat ‘anthropophagous’ (Greek)
homicide man+kill ‘homicide’ (Latin)
Learned vocabulary
7 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Neoclassical compounds
CFs ≠ affixes
Not fixed position
(4)
graphologue write+word/study ‘graphologist’
logographe word/study+write ‘logographer’
Combination with prototypical lexemes, others CFs or with
affixes
(5)
a.
cancérologue cancer+word/study ‘oncologist’
insecticide insect+kill ‘insecticide’
b.
phobique fear+-ique ‘phobic’
céphalée head+ée ‘headache’
8 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13The data
-ie +ie -ie +ie
CF -crate -cratie -logue -logie
Original lexeme κρατος
‘power’ λογος
‘discourse’
Dictionaries 18 30 226 535
Google 146 230 562 455
[+human] [–human] [+human] [–human]
‘individual ‘specialist of a ‘specialty,
‘power’
exerting a power’ discipline’ discipline’
9 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13The data
1000
900
800
700
600
500 crate / cratie
400 logue / logie
300
200
100
0
[-ie] [-ie] and [+ie] in [+ie]
common
10 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13The data
fortuitous
(6) a.
argentcratie °argentcrate (< argent ‘money’)
systematic
b.
macdocratie *macdocrate (Complex lexemes: a semantic network
Two models
The “leader word model”
(cf. Rainer 2005, Roché 2009, 2011, among others)
“Distributed” organisation
12 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Complex lexemes: a semantic network
Démocratie Aristocratie
borrowed from Ancient borrowed from Ancient
Greek (via Latin) Greek (via Latin)
first attestation in French: 1 million occurrences
1370 (Google search, 3 May 2013)
30 million occurrences on
the Net (Google search, 3 Greek meaning ‘power
May 2013) exerted by the best’
original meaning ‘power Then ‘noble class’
exerted by the people’ 1817 ‘privileged social group’
semantic pattern ‘power semantic pattern ‘self-
exerted by X’ valorising social group’
13 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Complex lexemes: a semantic network
(7)
a. La composition du CES depuis sa création est un (savant ?) mélange de
représentation des forces vives de la Nation et d’experts issus de la société
civile. L’écueil est de ne pas tomber dans la démocratie des corps
intermédiaires et/ou dans l’expertocratie.
[http://www.neveu-charles-avocats.com/fre/fiches/publications-du-
cabinet/reforme-ces-cese-identite.html]
a. Des chaussures bâteaux, signe distinctif d’une part de la population que nous
connaissons bien à Lyon : la cathocratie, ou bourgeoisie catholique.
[http://respublicalitteraria.wordpress.com/tag/integrisme/]
14 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Complex lexemes: a semantic network
(8)
a.
fricocratie < fric (‘money’) ‘power exerted in order to earn money’
corruptocratie < corruption (‘bribery’) ‘power obtained by means of bribery’
thalassocratie < thalasso- (‘sea’) ‘maritime supremacy’
b.
bushocratie < [George W.] Bush ‘state ruled by G.W. Bush’
c.
footocratie < foot (‘football’) ‘omnipresence of football’
“Ça fait 2 semaines qu’on se bouffe du foot à la télé, dans les bars, PARTOUT !
NON A LA FOOTOCRATIE !”
15 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Complex lexemes: a semantic network
‘self valorizing social
‘power of’
group’
expertocratie
cathocratie
expertocrate
cathocrate
‘power by ‘power in ‘power in’ ‘state where ‘omnipresence ‘who grants
means of’ order to’ thalassocratie X exerts a of’ him/herself
corruptocratie fricocratie thalassocrate power’ footocratie an
corruptocrate fricocrate Sarkocratie Ø underserved
sarkocrate power’
Ø
administrocrate
16 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Xcratie
120 Lexicalized
Non lexicalized
100 Xcrate
90
80 80
70
60 60
50
40 40
30
20 20
10
0 0
17 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Complex lexemes: a semantic network
(10)
a.
Quand on a des convictions, on les défend à visage découvert, pas caché derrière
un masque. Dans une vraie démocratie tout à fait d'accord. Hélas pas dans une
mafiacratie ou un état qui ne reconnait pas son peuple après chaque élection, ce
serait un geste suicidaire et stupide.
b.
La France est une vraie oligarchie et très près d’une mafiacratie et c’est ca la
différence, le peuple n’a absolument rien a dire.
c.
En rapides tableaux, la caméra montre le «casse légal du siècle» opéré par l’ex-
président argentin, avec la complicité active de la «mafiacratie» : ministres,
parlementaires, industriels, syndicalistes...
18 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Complex lexemes: a semantic network
Two models
The “leader word model”
(cf. Rainer 2005, Roché 2009, 2011, among others)
“Distributed” organisation
19 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Xlogie
1000 Lexicalized
900 Non lexicalized
Xlogue
800 800
700 700
600 600
500 500
400 400
300 300
200 200
100 100
0 0
20 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Complex lexemes: a semantic network
‘discourse’
dactylologie
monologue
‘research on’ ‘set of’
cancérologie trilogie
cancérologue heptalogue
‘practise of’
rirologie
rirologue
21 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Complex lexemes: a semantic network
λογος
‘discourse’ (> cardiologie ‘cardiology’)
vs. λέγειν ‘collect’(> anthologie ‘anthology’)
etymologic difference between the two no longer
perceived by speakers
unique word formation process exponent
22 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Complex lexemes: a semantic network
(11)
object: chaussettologie < chaussette (‘sock’)
natural phenomenon: sédimentologie < sediment (‘sediment’)
animal / plant: orchidologie < orchidée (‘orchid’)
part of the body: cardiologie < cardio- (‘heart’)
discipline / activity: bricologie < bricolage (‘do-it-yourself’)
country / people américanologie < américain (‘American’)
person / works of: mozartologie < Mozart
disease: cancérologie < cancer (‘cancer’)
drug / therapy: vaccinologie < vaccin (‘vaccine’)
period: futurologue < futur (‘future’)
… pifologue < pif (‘flair’)
23 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Complex lexemes: a semantic network
180
160
140
120
100
80
60 Lexicalized
40 Non lexicalized
20
0
24 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Complex lexemes: a semantic network
(13)
a.
La piscinologie m'avait été fortement déconseillée ces derniers mois par le corps
médical, en des termes laissant peu de place à la fantaisie : “c'est la piscine ou la
médecine”.
b.
Un professeur en piscinologie pourrait il me dire quelle est la durée de vie du
chlore lent ?
25 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Conclusion
Meaning of neoclassical compounds
cannot be described in a purely compositional manner
is the result of the inclusion of a single word in a global lexical
network
Differences in the manner in which this inclusion is
performed
models represented by individual leader words (semantic
catalysts)
‘distributed’ semantic models
26 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Conclusion
1) an apparently unique word formation pattern may in fact
correspond to several, possibly connected, different (sub)schemas;
2) these patterns do not constitute closed classes, but attracting
poles, and for each individual lexeme it is possible to measure its
proximity with one or more of these poles;
3) the inclusion of a lexeme in one of these patterns, and
consequently the construction of its meaning, is not merely the
result of the sum of the meanings of the elements constituting it,
but it is the result of a global lexical dynamic;
4) the analysis of individual and isolated examples of complex
lexemes is not sufficient to have a clear view of the functioning of
a morphological process; it is thus necessary to realise extensive
studies that take into account new formations and their contexts
of appearance.
27 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13Thanks for your attention 28 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13
Bibliography 29 NTWF - Sofia 30/05/13
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