Abstract
M.A. (Afrikaans)
The idea of what a concept is and how concepts change is currently a hot topic of
discussion within the cognitive semantics.
The term concept has changed significantly from Plato's Idee up until De Saussure's
theory early in the twentieth century that the word and its meaning are connected in an
arbitrary manner. From there onwards the meaning of the term concept has changed
drastically. Linguists like Ogden & Richards and Lyons initially referred to the concept
as the mental image one recalls when reference to a certain word is made.
But, since the development of the cognitive semantics in the late nineteen eighties, it
has developed as a term consisting of image-schemata in the form of gestalts,
categories and category models as well as semantic networks. Reinhart Koselleck
(2004:84),a historian who focussed on concepts and the change in meaning thereof
recommended that any concept is a conglomeration of all the linguistic and semantic
networks bedded into the concept but the socio-political factors are especially important
when studying a specific concept. Koselleck also focused on the prevalence of key concepts in any society. According to Koselleck key-concepts are those concepts that fulfil a key role in society. Society is depending on these concepts and any change in society will also have a huge impact on the concept. The purpose of this study is to
investigate changes in one key-concept namely the concept marriage in the Afrikaner
community due to significant changes that has taken place in this concept over the last
century.
The investigation to what a concept is and how concepts change, take place within the
field of the cognitive semantics and this study commences with a theoretical discussion
on concepts.
After a theoretical discussion on concepts, the historical development and changes of
the Western marriage is on the foreground. Seeing that the Afrikaner community
developed within the framework of the broader Western civilization, it is necessary to
also focus on the broad socio-political and semantic changes. Koselleck stressed the
importance of the social changes when any concept is investigated and therefore this
study also gives attention accordingly. Focus is placed on the statutory and religious
components and changes in the Afrikaans marriage but other socio-politicalfactors
impacting on the changes in marriage in the Afrikaner community are also investigated
and discussed. The concept marriage and synonyms 'trou (getting married) and "eg'
(matrimony) as portrayed in the Afrikaans language system, are also investigated.
Syntagmatic and paradigmatic relationships to the concept marriage are mentioned and
all the dictionary definitions are stated. This discussion ends with a demonstration of a
prototypical framework of the concept marriage with special reference to changes that
have occurred, but also to emphasize pressure that marriage in the Afrikaans
community is currently undergoing to change its form and presentation again.
To demonstrate how any linguistic change occurs firstly in the social realm before it is
transfered to the linguistic system- this study applies cognitive semantic methods in the
form of image-schematic structures and force schemas to the novel Agaat by Marlene
van Niekerk. The novel Agaat is chosen as example material because of its setting in a
pastoral environment before extensive urbanisation took place. The story is also set
against the backdrop of the golden era of marriage and the marriage of Milia and Jak de
Wet is investigated accordingly.
Koselleck (2004:70) states that a concept changes firstly in the social realm before it
gets widely accepted in the documented language systems and practice of a
community. The language community and practice need to internalize and document
any changes before its gets widely accepted as the prototype sample. This study
demonstrates how changes commence firstly in the socio-political practice preparatory
to these changes getting accepted into the wider language community and semantic
networks.