Contrasting the semantics of Indonesian -kan and -i verb pairs: A usage-based, constructional approach

Abstract

This paper provides fresh empirical evidence that meanings emerge across different levels of constructions (i.e., morphological and syntactic), and that alternative constructions exhibit complex interaction with grammaticalisation, which possibly alters the meaning and semantic contrast of morphologically related words. To that end, we demonstrate a quantitative method in usage-based, Construction Grammar, namely Collostructional Analysis, and apply it in the context of a hypothesis concerning semantic (dis)similarity between verb pairs suffixed with-kan and -i in Indonesian. We analyse one of the example pairs given in Sneddon et al. (2010), namely mengenai/mengenakan (both translated as 'subjet to' by Sneddon et al.), that they claim to illustrate a blurry semantic difference between -kan/-i verbs in common usage. Contrary to Sneddon et al.'s claim, the results from collocational analysis revealed that the verbs convey substantially different meanings. We argue for the importance of quantitative, usage-based approach in addressing hypothesis regarding semantic (dis)similarity of words. Show more