INTERPLAY OF STRUCTURE AND MEANING: SEMANTIC TRANSPARENCY OF COMPOUND WORDS
Authors: Zhuzhuna Gumbaridze, Tamta Popkhadze
Key words: Composites, Predictability, Semantic, Transparency, Constituents
Abstract: The internal structure of words, as one of the most fundamental components of language, operates within a rule-governed linguistic system. However, human vocabulary functions dynamically, allowing for creativity in word formation through processes such as compounding. This manuscript provides a structural and semantic analysis of Georgian compounds highlighting the characteristics and challenges associated with the meaning predictability of these complex lexical units. The analysis is supported with data from a study on the predictability of meaning of a selected set of 30 Georgian compounds conducted with non-native speakers of Georgian. The study examines the linguistic knowledge of speakers, which encompasses not only the ability to segment spoken language into meaningful units but also the capacity to specify the morpho-syntactic characteristics of individual words within their mental lexicon. On the basis of findings, potential outcomes are hypothesized and discussed in the results section highlighting that highly predictable composites have clear meanings derived from their components, while less predictable ones require contextual knowledge.
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