3. Polysemy and Homonymy

The word polysemy means plurality of meanings. It exists only in the language, not in the speech. A word which has more than one meaning is called polysemantic. Very few words are monosemantic, these are usually terms. (molecule, bronchitis).

Homonyms are words different in meaning but identical in sound or spelling, or both in sound and spelling.

Walter Skeat classified homonyms according to their spelling and sound forms:

1. perfect homonyms (identical in sound and spelling) school 1.косяк рыбы, 2. школа.

2. Homographs (the same spelling, but different pronounciation) bow [bau] -поклон, [bәu]- лук.

3. Homophones (pronounced identically, but spelt differently) night ↔ knight

A.I.Smirnitsky added to Skeat’s classification one more criterion: grammatical meaning.

1) perfect homonyms (identical in their spelling, pronunciation and grammar form (spring –1.весна, 2.источник.

2) homoforms (coincide in their spelling but have different grammatical meaning) to thin(v.) –thin(adj.)

I.V. Arnold classified only perfect homonyms and suggested 4 criteria for their classification: lexical meaning, grammatical meaning, basic forms and paradigms:

1) homonyms identical in their grammatical meanings, basic forms and paradigms and different in their lexical meanings ( board - 1.совет; 2.доска)

2) homonyms identical in their grammatical meanings and basic forms, but different in their lexical meanings and paradigms (to lie-lied-lied…. to lie-lay-lain)

3) homonyms different in their lexical meanings, grammatical meanings, paradigms, but coinciding in their basic forms ( light(lights) – light –lighter- the lightest)

4) homonyms different in their lexical meanings, grammatical meanings, in their basic forms and paradigms, but coinciding in one of the forms of their paradigms ( a bit and bit( from to bite))

Homonyms can appear in the language as a result of diverging meaning development ( Modern English flower and flour originally were one word) and convergent sound development ( MnE love-(to) love and OE lufu – lufian)

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5. Synonyms and antonyms

Synonyms

Absolute synonyms (to moan-to groan, noun-substantive, to begin-to commence, homeland-motherland)

Relative or ideographic synonyms – differ in additional implications (to look –to stare – to gaze –to peep – to glance- to peer; red- purple-scarlet-crimpson)

Stylistic synonyms ( differ in stylistic connotations: father-daddy-parent)

Contextual synonyms (I’ll go to the shop and get some bread =I’ll go to the shop and buy some bread).

Euphemisms ( lavatory → powder room, restroom, WC)

Superstitious taboos (to die → to cease to exist, to breathe one’s last, to kick the bucket)

Lexical variants (laughter-laugh)

Paronyms (to affect –to effect)

Sources of synonymy.

1. borrowings (freedom – liberty)

2. dialects long distance call –trunk call)

3. set-expressions (to choose – to pick out)

4. wordbuilding: shortening (exam); conversion (to laugh – a laugh)

5. phrasal verbs ( to give up – to abandon)

Antonyms

Derivational (happy-unhappy)

Root antonyms (right- wrong)

Antonyms usually appear in pairs. Most antonyms are adjectives and verbs.

If a word is polysemantic, it can have several antonyms/