Afrikaans: Die verhouding tussen taal, kultuur en denke is 'n komplekse taalfilosofiese
probleem. In hierdie studie word aspekte van hierdie verhouding ondersoek deur
te fokus op seksuele uitdrukkings in Afrikaans, die gebruik daarvan deur
verskillende subkultuurgroepe, en die persepsies random die seksuele wat in die
taalgebruik van daardie groepe tot uiting kom.
Vanuit 'n grammatiese perspektief word aangetoon hoe seksuele uitdrukkings
binne die Afrikaanse taalsisteem funksioneer. Daar word ge'lllustreer dat leksikale
items in die seksuele leksikon gevorm en gestabiliseer word deur middel van
klankverandering, morfologiese bouprosesse, funksiewisseling en
betekenisuitbreiding. Naas motivering op ander vlakke blyk die leksikale items in
die seksuele domein meestal oak kognitief-pragmaties gemotiveerd te wees.
'n Kognitiewe perspektief op seksuele uitdrukkings bevestig die noue verband
tussen taal en denke. Die taalfilosowe George Lakoff en Mark Johnson het sedert
die tagtigerjare aangetoon dat metaforiek en metonimie van die belangrikste
kognitiewe meganismes is waarmee die mens sy/haar werklikheid hanteer en
verwerk. Met betrekking tot uitdrukkings wat na die seksuele verwys, is dit vera!
metaforiek wat baie produktief is. Deur middel van metaforiese passings word
'n taboe kennisdomein dikwels ge'lnterpreteer in terme van 'n nie-taboe
kennisdomein, en hierdie passings word gerealiseer as metafories linguistiese
uitdrukkings. Deur die analisering van die sodanige uitdrukkings kan 'n mens
sekere afleidings maak oar die mens se kategoriserings- en
konseptualiseringsprosesse. 'n Ontleding van seksuele uitdrukkings wat frekwent
deur Afrikaanssprekende manstudente aan die Universiteit van Pretoria gebruik
word, wys die volgende metaforiese stereotipes uit wat in daardie bepaalde
subkultuur bestaan:
• DIE VROU IS 'N VERBRUIKBARE ENTITEIT
• DIE VROU IS 'N PASSIEWE, LEWELOSE VOORWERP
• DIE MAN IS 'N AKTIEWE, LEWENDE VERBRUIKER
• DIE MAN IS 'N GEVAARLIKE INSTRUMENT
English: The relationship between language, culture and thought poses a complex
problem when perceived from a philosophical perspective on language. This
study investigates some aspects of this relationship by focusing on sexual
expressions in Afrikaans, their use in different subcultures as well as the
perceptions about sex manifested within those groups.
The way in which sexual expressions operate within the Afrikaans language
system is firstly perceived from a grammatical perspective. This stance illustrates
that lexical items are created and stabilised in the sexual lexicon by means of
phonetic changes, morphological processes, functional differences and expansion
in meaning. Apart from the motivation on other levels, the lexical items in the
sexual domain also appear to be motivated on a cognitive and pragmatic level.
A cognitive approach to sexual expressions confirms the close relationship
between language and thought. Already in the early eighties, the two language
philosophers George Lakoff and Mark Johnson have identified metaphor and
metonymy as some of the most important cognitive mechanisms by means of
which a person accommodates and structures his/her reality. Metaphor seems
to be predominantly active as far as sexual expressions are concerned. A taboo
domain is often interpreted in terms of a non-taboo domain by means of
metaphorical mappings which are realised as metaphorical linguistic expressions.
By analysing these expressions, certain deductions could be made about the
categorisation and conceptualisation processes of the human mind.
An analysis of the sexual expressions frequently used by Afrikaans-speaking
male students at the University of Pretoria, indicates that the following
metaphorical stereotypes are manifest within those sub-cultures:
• A WOMAN IS A PASSIVE, INANIMATE OBJECT
• A WOMAN IS A DISPOSABLE ENTITY
• A MAN IS AN ACTIVE, ANIMATE CONSUMER/USER
• A MAN IS A DANGEROUS INSTRUMENT
