Abstract
This article evaluates how meaning has been treated in Isichazamazwi SesiNdebele (2001) through the application of the sense relations hyponymy, meronymy and synonymy. It attempts to establish the adequacy of meaning presentation in definitions given to headwords. It assesses how the application of sense relations contributes to the user-friendliness of the definitions, the accessibility of the dictionary con-tents and the semantic analysis of lexemes in dictionaries. It aims to give insights that will help refine and improve future dictionary definitions. The article reveals that hyponymy and meronymy facilitate the for-mulation of more user-friendly and accessible dictionary definitions. On the other hand, synonym definitions reduce the user-friendliness and accessibility of the definitions in dictionary types that are not dictionaries of synonyms. As dictionary making is a part or a form of standardizing a language, it ought to be as accurate as possible in the presentation of semantic facts which is a reflection of the ultural values and ideologies of the society.
Highlights
Definitions are probably the most central information in a dictionary, and most users consult a dictionary more for definitions than for any other information presented in it
This article looks at how the sense relations hyponymy, meronymy and synonymy can contribute to definitions which avoid circularity, define the entry word, define every word used in the definition and avoid using words more difficult to understand than the entry word
The close-knit relationship between sense relations, semantic field theory and componential analysis is evidence enough that these approaches are necessary parts of a semantic theory worth adopting in lexicography as a holistic approach to the analysis of the meaning of lexemes
Summary
Definitions are probably the most central information in a dictionary, and most users consult a dictionary more for definitions than for any other information presented in it. Because of the importance of definitions, it is necessary to establish defining formats and principles that will help formulate more user-friendly and accessible dictionary definitions adhering to the essential principles of defining. This article looks at how the sense relations hyponymy, meronymy and synonymy can contribute to definitions which avoid circularity, define the entry word, define every word used in the definition and avoid using words more difficult to understand than the entry word. Sense relations are concerned with the meaning relations words contract with each other in the meaning system of the vocabulary of a language (Lyons 1977: 241). It deals with meaning relations within the vocabulary system of the language. Sense relations are the intralinguistic relations of lexical items making up the vocabulary of a language
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