2. Typical groups of stylistic synonyms:

archaic/ modern (oft - often);

neologisms / common (baby-moon – artificial satellite);

British/American (post-mail);

euphemisms (die – pass away).

3. absolute synonyms of exactly the same meaning can replace each other in any given context, without the slightest alteration in denotative or emotional meaning and connotations:

the terms noun and substantive; functional affix, flexion and inflection

phraseological synonyms which are used in different collocations: language - tongue (only mother tongue)

contextual synonyms that are similar in meaning under some specific distributional conditions (e.g. get and buy).

Translation cannot serve as a criterion of synonymy!

words as also, too and as well, all translated by the Russian word тоже, are never interchangeable.

Euphemism - a shift of meaning a word of more or less pleasant or at least inoffensive connotation becomes synonymous to one that is harsh, obscene, indelicate or otherwise unpleasant

naked : : in one's birthday suit;

pregnant : : in the family way

drunk : : merry

A synonymic dominant of a synonymic group is the most general word that expresses the notion common for all the members of the group. It belongs to the basic stock of words, is stylistically neutral, has high frequency of usage and vast combinability, lacks connotations.

WORK: toil, drudgery, labour, grind, job, task;

FAMOUS: celebrated, distinguished, eminent;

FASHIONABLE: chic, dressy, elegant, modish, smart, stylish, trendy.

Each LSV (meaning) of one word has its own synonyms

Antrushina: In contemporary research on synonymy semantic criterion is frequently used. In terms of componential analysis synonyms may be defined as words with the same denotation, or the same denotative component, but differing in connotations, or in connotative components.

Arnold: The word can be segmented into denotative and connotative meaning. In most cases the denotative meaning is essentially cognitive: it conceptualises and classifies our experience and names for the listener some objects spoken about. Fulfilling the significative and the communicative functions of the word it is present in every word and may be regarded as the central factor in the functioning of language.

Connotation is the pragmatic communicative value the word receives by virtue of where, when, how, by whom, for what purpose and in what contexts it is or may be used. Ex: Summer – denotat, see, beach, sun, vacations – connotat.

There are 4 main types of connotations: stylistic, emotional, evaluative and expressive or intensifying.

When associations at work concern the situation in which the word is uttered, the social circumstances (formal, familiar, etc.), the social relationships between the interlocutors (polite, rough), the type and purpose of communication (learned, poetic, official, etc.), the connotation is stylistic. An effective method of revealing connotations is the analysis of synonymic groups, where the identity of denotation meanings makes it possible to separate the connotational overtones. E.x. girl and its synonyms. The word girl is stylistically neutral, its synonym maid is poetic, doll is a word of slang.

An emotional or affective connotation is acquired by the word as a result of its frequent use in contexts corresponding to emotional situations or because the referent conceptualised and named in the denotative meaning is associated with emotions. For example, the verb beseech means 'to ask eagerly and also anxiously'. E. g.: He besought a favour of the judge (Longman).

Evaluative connotation expresses approval of disapproval. Making use of the same procedure of comparing elements of a synonymic group, one compares the words magic, witchcraft and sorcery, all originally denoting art and power of controlling events by occult supernatural means, we see that all three words are now used mostly figuratively, and also that magic as compared to its synonyms will have glamorous attractive connotations, while the other two, on the contrary, have rather sinister associations.

A fourth type of connotation that should be mentioned is the intensifying connotation (also expressive, emphatic). Thus magnificent, gorgeous, splendid, superb are all used colloquially as terms of exaggeration (преувеличение).

It is not claimed that these four types of connotations: stylistic, emotional, evaluative and intensifying form an ideal and complete classification. Many other variants have been proposed, but the one suggested here is convenient for practical analysis and well supported by facts. They can be mixed with each other.