Abstract
In this article an Afrikaans collocation and phrase dictionary for mother-tongue speakers (primary target group) as well as advanced learners (secondary target group) is discussed. The position which such a dictionary occupies among other dictionary types is pointed out. A motivation is also given for the inclusion of idioms and other fixed phrases in the proposed dictionary. The three key approaches with regard to the interpretation of the term collocation are examined, i.e. the text-oriented approach of Halliday and Hasan (1976), the statistically-oriented approach of Sinclair (Collins Cobuild) and the significance-oriented approach of Hausmann (1984). The arguments in this article favour Benson et al.’s (1986) implementation of the significance-oriented approach. Statistical evidence could be used to examine the usage frequency of collocations and phrases. The advantages and/or disadvantages of these approaches are considered. Three types of words and their treatment in the dictionary are discussed: those which have a very wide range of combination, those which have selectional restrictions imposed by general semantic features, and those of which the range of combination is restricted by certain other words. It is argued that only the last two types should be included in this dictionary. As one of the target groups is unsophisticated learners with a limited grammatical background, the ideal would be to enter lexical collocations both at their bases and at the collocators. To save space however, more information such as examples could then be provided at the bases only. Grammatical collocations should be entered at the bases, i.e. nouns, verbs and adjectives. The division of the dictionary articles into two components to meet the needs of both intended target groups, is discussed.
Highlights
Knowles (1997: 72) says: "It is a well-known but regrettable fact that very, very few language communities possess satisfactory collocations dictionaries
It is not stretching things too far to say that first-class collocational control is the hallmark of the true L2 expert; collocational control is, nonnally the last linguistic subsystem to be mastered by L2 learners who proceed to an advanced level."
There is an important place in Afrikaans lexicography for a specialized collocation and phrase dictionary from which both mother-tongue speakers and advanced learners of Afrikaans can benefit
Summary
Knowles (1997: 72) says: "It is a well-known but regrettable fact that very, very few language communities possess satisfactory collocations dictionaries. The nonnal unavailability of collocations dictionaries is a great pity because that is exactly what advanced learners need, and what many native speakers hanker after too. It is not stretching things too far to say that first-class collocational control is the hallmark of the true L2 expert; collocational control is, nonnally the last linguistic subsystem to be mastered by L2 learners who proceed to an advanced level.". . Where some languages have several collocation dictionaries, Afrikaans has none. In this article an Afrikaans collocation and phrase dictionary, which is presently being compiled, is discussed
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
