IDEOPHONES AS LINGUISTIC "REBELS": THE EXTRA-SYSTEMATICITY OF IDEOPHONES IN XHOSA (PART 1)

This paper contributes to the study of structural distinctiveness of the category of ideophony. The author analyzes the extent to which Xhosa ideophones exhibit the so-called extra-systematic properties, which cross-linguistically tend to distinguish ideophones from other lexical classes. The analysis demonstrates that ideophones are relatively extra-systematic in Xhosa, although their extra-systematicity is not unitary. It is the largest in morphology, slightly less visible in phonology, and only residual in syntax. It is proposed that the distinct degrees of extra-systematicity are related to differences in grammaticalization and a gradual integration of ideophones into the Xhosa grammar - with the adjustment in syntax occurring faster than the morphological adaptation. In this paper - the first in a series of two articles - the author deals with methodological issues and introduces evidence related to the phonology and morphology of ideophones in Xhosa.