TY - JOUR
T1 - Semantic fieldwork and lexical universals
AU - Goddard, Cliff
AU - Wierzbicka, Anna
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - The main goal of paper is to show how NSM findings about lexical universals (semantic primes) can be applied to semantic analysis in little-described languages. It is argued that using lexical universals as a vocabulary for semantic analysis allows one to formulate meaning descriptions that are rigorous, cognitively authentic, maximally translatable, and free from Anglocentrism. A second goal is to shed light on methodological issues in semantic fieldwork by interrogating some controversial claims about the Dalabon and Piraha languages. We argue that reductive paraphrase into lexical universals provides a practical procedure for arriving at coherent interpretations of unfamiliar lexical meanings. Other indigenous/endangered languages discussed include East Cree, Arrernte, Kayardild, Karuk, and Maori. We urge field linguists to take the NSM metalanguage, based on lexical universals, into the field with them, both as an aid to lexicogrammatical documentation and analysis and as a way to improve semantic communication with consultants.
AB - The main goal of paper is to show how NSM findings about lexical universals (semantic primes) can be applied to semantic analysis in little-described languages. It is argued that using lexical universals as a vocabulary for semantic analysis allows one to formulate meaning descriptions that are rigorous, cognitively authentic, maximally translatable, and free from Anglocentrism. A second goal is to shed light on methodological issues in semantic fieldwork by interrogating some controversial claims about the Dalabon and Piraha languages. We argue that reductive paraphrase into lexical universals provides a practical procedure for arriving at coherent interpretations of unfamiliar lexical meanings. Other indigenous/endangered languages discussed include East Cree, Arrernte, Kayardild, Karuk, and Maori. We urge field linguists to take the NSM metalanguage, based on lexical universals, into the field with them, both as an aid to lexicogrammatical documentation and analysis and as a way to improve semantic communication with consultants.
KW - Anglocentrism
KW - Endangered languages
KW - Lexical semantics
KW - Linguistic fieldwork
KW - NSM
KW - Reductive paraphrase
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84900399518&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1075/sl.38.1.03god
DO - 10.1075/sl.38.1.03god
M3 - Article
SN - 0378-4177
VL - 38
SP - 80
EP - 126
JO - Studies in Language
JF - Studies in Language
IS - 1
ER -