Études romanes de Brno (Feb 2015)
La polysémie comme artefact des poètes : variations sémantiques de samudrádans la R̥ksaṃhitā
Abstract
The Vedic lexicon is essentially polysemic. Our case study concerns the uses of the concrete noun samudrá- in the R̥ksaṃhitā. This word is currently translated by "ocean, sea, flood" by lexicographers and Western translators. However, samudrá- is also used to refer to 'the oblation of soma'. This paper explores the factors which might have led to these semantic variations. Methodologically, we will formulate the combinatorial profile of this lexie by examining its verbal valence (i.e. complements which surround it), the lexical associations in which it appears (especially epithets) and also verbs and prepositions with which samudrá- is syntactically connected. We will also examine the semantic integration of the lexie in the whole strophe or the whole text (especially by studying the isotopic networks). In this way we hope to validate a dynamic approach to meaning i.e. how context constructs a lexie's meaning.
