A usage-based description of expletive infixation constructions in Afrikaans

Abstract

Expletive infixation constructions (EICs) are well-described in English, but not in other languages. The form, meaning and use of EICs in Afrikaans, an understudied Germanic language, have not been described in much detail yet. This study serves to fill this descriptive gap by offering a usage-based description of these constructions in written Afrikaans. The meanings of EICs tend to range from contempt for or sarcasm toward the target (when proper names are used) to surprise or enthusiasm (when other parts of speech serve as source words). It is clear from the corpus data that expletives infixed in proper nouns appear to be a productive use case of EICs in Afrikaans. Further research is warranted with the possibility of comparing these constructions in Afrikaans and English