Polysemy vs homonymy

If homonymy is viewed diachronically then all cases of sound convergence of two or more words may be safely regarded as cases of homonymy, as, e.g., race₁ and race₂ can be traced back to two etymologically different words. The cases of semantic divergence, however, are more doubtful. The transition from polysemy to homonymy is a gradual process, so it is hardly possible to point out the precise stage at which divergent semantic development tears asunder all ties between the meanings and results in the appearance of two separate words.Synchronically the differentiation between homonymy and polysemy is as a rule based on the semantic criterion. It is usually held that if a connection between the various meanings is apprehended by the speaker, these are to be considered as making up the semantic structure of a polysemantic word, otherwise it is a case of homonymy, not polysemy.The criteria used in the synchronic analysis of homonymy are:

1. the semantic criterion of related or unrelated meanings;

2. the criterion of spelling;

3. the criterion of distribution.

There are cases of lexical homonymy when none of the criteria enumerated above is of any avail. In such cases the demarcation line between polysemy and homonymy is rather fluid.

The problem of discriminating between polysemy and homonymy in theoretical linguistics is closely connected with the problem of the basic unit at the semantic level of analysis.

№8 Semantic and non-semantic classification of English words.

Semantic relations:

• polysemantic relations

• synonymic relations - there are no lexemes which have exactly the same meaning (linguistically) Synonyms can therefore be defined in terms of linguistics as two or more words of the same language, belonging to the same part of speech and possessing one or more identical or nearly identical denotational meanings, interchangeable, at least in some contexts without any considerable alteration in denotational meaning, but differing in morphemic composition, phonemic shape, shades of meaning, connotations, style, valency and idiomatic use.

stylistic (father)

• ideоgraphiс synonyms (house)

• Contextual or context-dependent synonyms are similar in meaning only under some specific distributional conditions. It may happen that the difference between the meanings of two words is contextually neutralised

• relative synonyms- : the words name different notions, not various degrees of the same notion, and cannot substitute one another. like : : love : : adore or gift : : talent : : genius

• Total synonymy, i.e. synonymy where the members of a synonymic group can replace each other in any given context, without the slightest alteration in denotative or emotional meaning and connotations, is a rare occurrence. Examples of this type can be found in special literature among technical terms peculiar to this or that branch of knowledge

child, kid – denotations are the same

• antonymic relations - Antonyms may be defined as two or more words of the same language belonging to the same part of speech and to the same semantic field, identical in style and nearly identical in distribution, associated and often used together so that their denotative meanings render contradictory or contrary notions

  • Gradable - capable of comparison, they don’t refer to absolute qualities: happy – sad, wet – dry BUT: single – marry, alive – dead we can’t use term gradable as they are contradictories.

  • Converses - (sell – buy, husband - wife)

  • Contradictory notions are mutually opposed and denying one another, e. g. alive means ‘not dead’ and impatient means ‘not patient’.

  • Contrary notions are also mutually opposed but they are gradable, e. g. old and young are the most distant elements of a series like: old : : middle-aged : : young,

Another classification of antonyms is based on a morphological approach:

• root words form absolute antonyms (right : : wrong),

• the presence of negative affixes creates derivational antonyms (happy : : unhappy).

• derivational antonyms. The affixes in them serve to deny the quality stated in the stem. The opposition known : : unknown

• Hypero-hypenymic relations ( plant – tree (oak, apple tree (…)), flower…)

• part-and-whole relations (body – face, eyes, nose; house – kitchen, sitting room, window, bathroom)

• hiratical relations (bishop, arch bishop, prist)

• serious relations

• psytrical relations

Non-semantic grouping is used in all branches of applied linguistics

-in the alphabetical organization of written words in most dictionaries. It’s of great practical value as the simplest and the most universal way of facilitating the search for the necessary word.

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