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One intention with last week\u2019s \u201cm\u00edlujem \u0165a\u201d was to show how the notion of \u201clisteme\u201d can be rather more helpful in explaining language than the notion \u201cword\u201d: As I pointed out, the Slovak expression has two words, while the English expression has three, yet they mean the same thing. Thanks to Eva S, we can highlight further the problem with the notion \u201cword,\u201d she writes:<\/p>\n
\u201cBut let`s complicate the task with a Hungarian word \u201cSzeretlek\u201d which means \u201cI love you\u201d. It is just one word in which everything is included as in \u201cI love you\u201d. In \u201cszeretlek\u201d there is included both the object and the subject.\u201d<\/p>\n
So whether we have one, two, or three words we nevertheless have the same meaning in each case, crucially because each of these expressions contains exactly the same three listemes: the content listeme {love}, and the two function listemes {first person, singular, subject} and {second person, singular, informal, object). I leave it to my students with a knowledge of Hungarian to show exactly how \u201cSzeretlek\u201d expresses these three listemes.<\/p>\n
I think most readers could see the distinction between word and listeme involved in analyzing \u201cm\u00edlujem \u0165a.\u201d However, how to separate out the boundaries between the three listemes turned out to be considerably more contentious. Zdenka K thought that the scope of the content listeme should be a bit more expansive:<\/p>\n
\u201cAs far as concerning the word MILUJEM TA, in my opinion the base of the verb is MILU and the person who wrote it is JEM.\u201d<\/p>\n
And Michaela L argued to push the boundary of the content listeme \u201cto love\u201d even farther rightward into the sentence:<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in the word \u201cMilujem\u201d, I think that this ending \u201cm\u201d means that \u201cI\u201d love somebody. If there will be \u201cmiluje\u0161\u201d \u2013 it means that not \u201cI\u201d but \u201cyou\u201d love somebody (ja milujem, ty miluje\u0161, on miluje, my milujeme, vy milujete, oni miluj\u00fa). I think that the root of the verb \u201cmilujem\u201d is \u201cmiluje\u201d. Because, \u201cmil\u201d is not a verb, we do not know from which word, verb it is derived.\u201d<\/p>\n
So we have as possible candidates for the content listeme we associate with the meaning love: \u201cmil-\u201c, \u201cmilu-\u201c, or \u201cmiluje.\u201d One of Michaela\u2019s problems with the first two possibilities is that they do not stand for something on their own; that is, they cannot be used as separate phonological words in a sentence. This, however, should not rule out their status as listemes, which are defined as he smallest units of meaning in a language, and not as something that must stand alone. When it cannot possibly stand alone, we have the terminology \u201cbound listeme\u201d for describing it. Note that we would have a problem in considering \u201cmiluje\u201d to be a listeme in that there are not one but two meaningful units, the contentful notion involving love, and the functional notion involving a third person singular subject: \u201cmiluje\u201d means \u2018he or she loves\u201d.<\/p>\n
Deciding on a content listeme between \u201cmil-\u201c and \u201cmilu-\u201c is a bit trickier, although a beautiful posting by Lenka V helps point the way. Notice that all the words in Lenka\u2019s list share two things: in terms of meaning, a positive, affective denotation; in terms of form, the sounds constituting \u201cmil-\u201c:<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the classroom last week you asked about the meaning of \u2018mil-\u2018, and then about what the love is. That discussion motivated me to do a little research: Immediately after the lesson I went to the library and took an old Slovak dictionary (Slovn\u00edk slovensk\u00e9ho jazyka II. Vydavate\u013estvo SAV. Bratislava 1960). I found all the words beginning with \u2018mil-\u2018, meaning something positive. I came to a list of 30 items as following:
\nmil\u00e1\u010dik
\nmilec
\nmilenec, mileneck\u00fd
\nmilenka
\nmilen\u00fd
\nmiler\u00e1d
\nmilkova\u0165 sa, miliskova\u0165 sa
\nmilk\u00fd, milkovn\u00fd
\nmilodar
\nmilohlasn\u00fd, milohlas\u00fd
\nmilokr\u00e1sny
\nmilosrdenstvo
\nmilos\u0165
\nmilostipln\u00fd
\nMilostenka
\nmilostiv\u00fd
\nmilostnica
\nmilostnos\u0165
\nmilostn\u00fd
\nmilo\u0161ialen\u00fd
\nmilota
\nmilos\u0165p\u00e1n, milos\u0165pani, milos\u0165sle\u010dna
\nmilovanie
\nmilovan\u00fd
\nmilova\u0165
\nmilov\u00e1\u017ene
\nmilovn\u00edk
\nmilovonn\u00fd
\nmilozvu\u010dn\u00fd
\nmil\u00fd<\/p>\n
All these words have a listeme indicating positive feelings (or love) of somebody towards another person or thing, or pleasant, agreeable perceptions. The underlined items are strange to my computer and probably to a modern Slovak reader too, because they were created by some Slovak writers like Andrej Sl\u00e1dkovi\u010d (milokr\u00e1sny, milovonn\u00fd, milo\u0161ialen\u00fd) or P. O. Hviezdoslav (milk\u00fd, milkovn\u00fd, milohlasn\u00fd). I did not understand the words put in italics. Just to make it clear: the term \u2018milostnica\u2019, introduced by Margita Figuli (also a Slovak writer), was used to denote a beloved woman or a courtesan; and Milostenka is the name of a goddess of attractiveness, Grace (according to Sl\u00e1dkovi\u010d). Another surprise for me was the fact that I have never heard about \u2018milota\u2019 denoting a genus of gramineous plants (milota ve\u013ekokl\u00e1skov\u00e1, milota chlpat\u00e1). No idea what it is, however, interrresssting\u2026 Some proper nouns should belong to the list above too: Milada, Milan, Milena, Milica, Miloslav, Miloslava, Milo\u0161, Milota (again!). I am sure that they were created through the application of our \u201cpositive listeme\u201d as well as all the mentioned nouns.\u201d<\/p>\n
To capture the overlap in meaning in the list that Lenka V provides, we must narrow down to the listeme \u201cmil-,\u201c the only surface phonological part that all the words share. Lenka\u2019s posting is an excellent model of the way we can circumstantially detect bound listemes, those that cannot stand alone as a phonological word.<\/p>\n
Now Mirka O\u2019s question can be sorted out:<\/p>\n
\u201cI just wonder about how did you came up with the idea that the first part \u201cMIL\u201d of the word MILUJEM means something laden \u2018love\u2019. When I think about \u201cMIL-\u201c, I rather connect it with another Slovak word \u201cmily\u201d (kind).\u201d<\/p>\n
We can trace the difference between \u201cmil-\u201d and \u201cmily\u201d not to the meaning of \u201cmil-\u201c, but rather to the contribution made by the functional listeme \u201c-y,\u201d which may have the role of somewhat softening the intensity of \u201cmil-\u201c.<\/p>\n
But this last claim points to another \u201cboundary issue\u201d regarding in particular content listemes: their meaning tends to be a little slippery. As Petronela L observed . . .<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to add my personal experience with the expression \u00b4milujem \u0165a\u00b4, or, more precisely, with its french equivalent \u00b4je t\u00b4aime\u00b4. When I was in France, I met a boy and after some time, we became really good friends. As the time went on, the expression \u00b4je t\u00b4aime\u00b4started to appear in his messages and e-mails and I became confused about what it could mean, so, after some hesitations, I simply asked him. Much to my surprise, it turned out to be just a casual way to finish one\u00b4s message or e-mail! I made a fool of myself, but the idea of saying \u00b4milujem \u0165a\u00b4to any of my friends appears really strange to me! This proves that even such a simple expression like \u00b4milujem \u0165a\u00b4 doesn\u00b4t necessarily have to have one clear content and clear meaning. In one language, it is used to express feeling of love, whereas in another, you can use it when adressing even to your neighbor!\u201d<\/p>\n
That fluidity of meaning in content lexemes is not just across languages, but occurs language internally, as Alena B observed . . .<\/p>\n
\u201cMany words and expressions are becoming less and less intensive. Even their true and original meaning is sometimes arguable. They are being used so often and in so many different situations that they start to lack the power they once had. They are more and more often being taken for grounded. Milujem ta, for example. It used to be a verbal proof of one\u2019s strong and true affection, emotional warmth towards some other person (your \u201cdefinition\u201d is nice as well); a testimony of profound feeling that one could rely on, believe in, consider to be of great importance\u2026
\nToday, Ja milujem otca, matku, brata, sestru;
\nAlso Ja milujem priatela, manzela, milenca; \u2013 boyfriend, husband, lover
\nBut I also milujem vychadzky do parku \u2013 walking in the park
\nA ja proste milujem taliansku kuchinu \u2013 Italian kitchen
\nA ja ozaj milujem Channel 5\u2026
\nJa milujem on every step I make, in every situation, what ever comes into my way.
\nI am rather disappointed and sad to see\/hear that even the expressions such is this are becoming usual, universal and worn out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thus boundaries, both in terms of phonological form and semantic content prove to be continual points of interest. It nevertheless becomes quite clear when borders are illegitimately crossed, as Renata M shows us in this final anecdote:<\/p>\n
\u201cI add a special kind of explanation of the utterance \u201cMilujem\u201d: it has nothing to do with love\u2026 just I was playing with the verb milujem and I create a sentence Milu(as a slovak biscuit)jem (eat)=I eat Milu:-)\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One intention with last week\u2019s \u201cm\u00edlujem \u0165a\u201d was to show how the notion of \u201clisteme\u201d can be rather more helpful in explaining language than the notion \u201cword\u201d: As I pointed out, the Slovak expression has two words, while the English … Continue reading