Semantic changes accompanying loan-words in the Northern Sotho lexicon

Abstract

The loan-word may either have a restricted meaning or meaning extension when adopted in the vocabulary of Northern Sotho. Sometimes the loan lexical items undergo radical changes in meaning when compared with their counterparts in their source language. In chapter one, the basic concepts of semantics. such as metaphor, hyponymy, homonymy, polysemy. sense, referent and reference, are defined. Meaning restriction is discussed in detail in chapter two. This restriction is found where the lexical item has lost one or more of its meanings when adopted in the vocabulary of Northern Sotho, e.g.: terms from Afrikaans drom 'drum'. Chapter three deals with meaning extension of loan words. In this case the meaning of the Northern Sotho loan-word is more general than its counterpart in the language of origin, e.g: namoneiti 'lemonade' for all types of cooldrinks. Radical meaning shift is discussed in chapter four. This includes those loan-words whose referents are completely different from those of their counterparts in a foreign language, as well as those which have changed from one word category to another. Chapter five deals with the summary and conclusion.