The Lexicographic Treatment of Sublexical and Multilexical Items in a Northern Sotho Monolingual Dictionary: A Challenge for Lexicographers

Motlokwe Clifford Mphahlele

doi:10.5788/13-0-727

Motlokwe Clifford Mphahlele Sesotho sa Leboa National Lexicography Unit, University of the North, Polokwane, Republic of South Africa

Keywords: SUBLEXICAL ITEMS, MULTILEXICAL ITEMS, AFFIXES, PREFIXAL MOR-PHEMES, SUFFIXAL MORPHEMES, INTEGRATED MICROSTRUCTURE, WORD-BASED APPROACH, LEMMATIZATION, COLLOCATIONS, COMPOUNDS, COMPLEXES, GROUP PREPOSITIONS, FIXED EXPRESSIONS, MORPHEMES, METALEXICOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS, WORD-FORMATION PROCESSES, WORD-INTERNAL FUNCTION, USER-ORIENTED MONO-LINGUAL DICTIONARY, GRAMMAR, HOMONYMOUS LEMMA, POLYSEMOUS LEMMA, DECODING, ENCODING, SEMANTIC COMMENT, SEMANTIC TRANSPARENCY

Abstract

Abstract: Dictionaries have in the past used a word-based approach in which sublexical and multilexical items were not regarded as lemmata. Metalexicography as the theoretical component of lexicography requires that sublexical and multilexical items be lemmatized and treated as independent lemmata in the macrostructure of dictionaries. One of the greater challenges for compiling a better and user-oriented Northern Sotho monolingual dictionary is to treat sublexical and multi-lexical items as macrostructural elements. Treating these items, the lexicographer faces quite a number of challenges. This article proposes possible ways in which sublexical and multilexical elements could be successfully treated in a Northern Sotho monolingual dictionary. Taking stock of these challenges, the writer comes with suggestions that would assist lexicographers in the compi-lation of a user-friendly, lexicon-based monolingual dictionary that would lead users to successful information retrieval.Keywords: SUBLEXICAL ITEMS, MULTILEXICAL ITEMS, AFFIXES, PREFIXAL MOR-PHEMES, SUFFIXAL MORPHEMES, INTEGRATED MICROSTRUCTURE, WORD-BASED APPROACH, LEMMATIZATION, COLLOCATIONS, COMPOUNDS, COMPLEXES, GROUP PREPOSITIONS, FIXED EXPRESSIONS, MORPHEMES, METALEXICOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS, WORD-FORMATION PROCESSES, WORD-INTERNAL FUNCTION, USER-ORIENTED MONO-LINGUAL DICTIONARY, GRAMMAR, HOMONYMOUS LEMMA, POLYSEMOUS LEMMA, DECODING, ENCODING, SEMANTIC COMMENT, SEMANTIC TRANSPARENCYOpsomming: Die leksikografiese behandeling van subleksikale en multi-leksikale items in 'n Noord-Sotho- eentalige woordeboek: 'n Uitdaging vir leksikograwe. Woordeboeke het in die verlede 'n woordgebaseerde benadering gevolg waar-by subleksikale en multileksikale items nie as lemmas beskou is nie. Die metaleksikografie as die teoretiese komponent van die leksikografie vereis dat subleksikale en multileksikale items gelem-matiseer word en as onafhanklike lemmas in die makrostuktuur van woordeboeke behandel word. Een van die groter uitdagings in die samestelling van 'n beter en gebruikersgerigte Noord-Sotho- eentalige woordeboek is om subleksikale en multileksikale items as makrostrukturele elemente te behandel. By die behandeling van hierdie items word die leksikograaf met 'n hele aantal uitdagings gekonfronteer. Hierdie artikel stel moontlike maniere voor waarop subleksikale en multileksikale elemente suksesvol in 'n Noord-Sotho- eentalige woordeboek behandel kan word. Deur hierdie uitdagings in oënskou te neem, kom die skrywer met voorstelle wat leksikograwe sal help met die samestelling van 'n gebruikersvriendelike, leksikongebaseerde eentalige woordeboek wat gebrui-kers tot suksesvolle inligtingsherwinning sal lei.Sleutelwoorde: SUBLEKSIKALE ITEMS, MULTILEKSIKALE ITEMS, AFFIKSE, PREFI-GALE MORFEME, SUFFIGALE MORFEME, GEÏNTEGREERDE MIKROSTRUKTUUR, WOORD-GEBASEERDE BENADERING, LEMMATISERING, KOLLOKASIES, SAMESTELLINGS, KOM-PLEKSE, GROEPVOORSETSELS, VASTE UITDRUKKINGS, MORFEME, METALEKSIKOGRA-FIESE ASPEKTE, WOORDVORMINGSPROSESSE, WOORDINTERNE FUNKSIE, GEBRUIKERS-GERIGTE EENTALIGE WOORDEBOEK, GRAMMATIKA, HOMONIMIESE LEMMA, POLISE-MIESE LEMMA, DEKODERING, ENKODERING, SEMANTIESE KOMMENTAAR, SEMANTIE-SE DEURSIGTIGHEID