Polysemy and Homonymy

Topics for discussion

1)source of polysemy

2)semantic structure of a word

3)Homonyms

4)processes of polysemy development

1)Polysemantic – a word having more that one meaning, having many

meanings.The word fire – a flame.

2)Monosemantic – a word having only one meaning:molecule,hydrogen.

Semantic structure of a word

All the denotational meanings of a polysemantic word and the relation between
them,as well as the connotational meanings of the style and emotive charge make
up the semantic structure of a word.The semantic structure of a polysemantic
word may be defined as a structured set of interrelated meanings.

So the complicated processes of polysemy development involve both the

appearance of new meanings and the loss or old ones.
There are two levels of analysis:
One the first level,the semantic structure of a word is treated as a system of
meanings.
The second level of analysis of the semantic structure of a word.
The first level a system of meanings e.g Fire,n.Flame
1)An instance of destructive burning:
e.g.a forest fire
2)Burning material in a stove,fireplace etc:e.g. There is a fire in the next room. A
camp fire.
3)The shooting of guns,etc;e.g. to open(cease)fire.
4)Strong feeling,passion,enthusiasm:e.g. speech lacking fire.
Types of Semantic Components
Denotative component – expresses the conceptual content of a word.
Referential component
Homonyms
Homonyms are traditionally defined as words having the same sound form,but
different in meaning,distribution and often in origin.
As for homonyms, they also name different segments of reality, belonging to
different spheres of reality, but there is no contact between these spheres.
Consequently, the sound form ―ear‖ with its two meanings ―the organ of
hearing‖ and ―ear of corn belonging.
The most widely accepted classification is that recognizing homonyms
proper,homophones and homographs.
Homonyms proper are words identical in pronunciation and spelling. E.g. back–
part of the body, back (v) – away from the front, back (v) – go back.
Homophones are words of the same sound but of different spelling and
meaning: air-heir, arms-alms, buy-by-bye, knight-night, bill-Bill.
Homographsare words different in sound and in meaning but accidentally
identical in spelling: bow [bou] – bou [bau], lead [li:d] – lead [led] tear [tεə] –
tear [tiə ] wind [wind] – wind [waind], etc.
Full homonyms – have the same spelling and production(For example match – a
game,a contest)(a short piece of wood for producing fire)
Partial homonyms – word – forms belonging to different parts of speech(For
example a seal – to seal)
Homonyms may create ambiguity. To understand the translation of a word, you
must know in what context it is located.
This type of formation of homonyms is called split polysemy.