SYNONYMS

 Definition of Synonymy
 Criteria of Synonymy
 Types of Synonyms
 Types of Connotations
 Sources of Synonymy
 Synonyms
 words of the same language
 belong to the same part of speech
 possess one or more identical or
nearly identical denotational
meanings
 interchangeable, at least in some
contexts
 Synonyms
 differ in morphemic shape
 differ in phonemic shape
 differ in shades of meaning,
connotations
 differ in style, idiomatic use
 Denotative Connota- style Idiomatic
meaning tive usage
hope having A belief neutral Lose
+desire that hope, pin
something some event
one’s
in would
happen hope on
mind smth
which is May be of
Expecta literary
likely to good or of
-tion evil
happen
Anticipa pleasurable
expectation
-tion of smth good
 Criteria of Synonymy
 conceptual criterion
 the criterion of
interchangeability
 semantic criterion
 Conceptual Criterion
 convey the same concept
 differ in shades of meaning
 differ in stylistic characteristics
BUT: Washington is the capital
of the USA. (referent is the same,
but there’s no linguistic relationship of
synonymity)
 Semantic Criterion
 have the same denotation
 differ in connotations
 Semantic Criterion
denotation connotations
To To look Steadily, In surprise,
stare lastingly curiosity
To To look Steadily, In anger, rage,
glare lastingly fury
To To look Steadily, In tenderness,
gaze lastingly admiration,
wonder
To To look Briefly, in
glance passing
 The Criterion of
Interchangeability

 interchangeable at least in
some contexts without any
considerable alteration in
denotational meaning
 The Criterion of
Interchangeability
e.g. pretty,
good-looking,
handsome, beautiful girl
e.g. He glared at her (angrily)
He glazed at her (with
admiration or interest)
He glanced at her (briefly)
Classification of Synonyms
(by V.V. Vinogradov)
 absolute – words coinciding in
all their shades of meaning
and in all their stylistic
characteristics
Classification of Synonyms
(by V.V. Vinogradov)
 ideographic (denotational)–
words conveying the same
concept but differing in shades of
meaning
 e.g. to look – to see – to gaze – to
glare
Classification of Synonyms
(by V.V. Vinogradov)
 stylistic – words differing in
stylistic characteristics
 e.g. father – Dad - Daddy
 Types of Connotations
 connotation of degree or
intensity
e.g. to like – to admire – to love – to
adore – to worship
 connotation of duration
e.g. to shudder (brief) – to shiver
(lasting)
 Types of Connotations
 emotive connotations
e.g. to tremble – to shiver – to shudder
(emotion of fear, horror, disgust) – to
shake
 evaluative connotation – attitude
towards the referent, labeling it as good or
bad
e.g. well-known – famous - notorious
(negative connotation) - celebrated
 Types of Connotations
 causative connotation
e.g. to blush from modesty, shame or
embarrassment
to redden from anger or indignation
 connotation of manner
e.g. to stroll – to stride – to trot – to pace -
to swagger – to stagger – to stumble
 Types of Connotations
 connotation of attendant
circumstances
e.g. to peep at smb/smth through a hole, a
crack or opening, from a half-closed door,
a curtain
to peer at smb/smth in darkness,
through the fog, from a great distance,
through dimmed glasses or windows
 Types of Connotations
 stylistic connotation
e.g. (girl) girlie (colloquial),
colloquial lass,
lassie (dialect),
dialect bird, birdie,
jane, fluff, skirt (slang),
slang maiden
(poetic),
poetic damsel (archaic)
archaic
 Dominant Synonym
 high frequency of usage
 broad combinability
 broad general meaning
 lack of connotations
e.g. to look – to glare – to gaze
to make – to produce – to create – to
fabricate - to manufacture
 Hyponymy
 generic term –name for the notion of
the genus as distinguished from the
name of species – hyponyms
e.g. animal - dog – wolf – mouse

generic term names of the species

included into generic
term
 Sources of Synonyms
Native English French words - Greco-Latin
words - neutral literary words -
learned
To ask To question To interrogate

belly stomach abdomen

To gather To assemble To collect

To end To finish To complete

teaching guidance instruction

 Synonymic Differentiation
 the word survived with a meaning more or
less removed from the original one and
became an obsolete or archaic word
 obsolete and modern words exist in the
language but the obsolete word has a very
specific meaning
e.g. girl – OE wench
 Sources of Synonyms
 synonymic attraction - the referent which
is very popular attracts a large number of
synonyms
e.g.
 variants and dialects of English
e.g. lass (Scottish) - girl (English)
long-distance call (USA) – trunk call
(British)
 Sources of Synonyms
 word-building
e.g. lab laboratory – shortening
cheery - cheerful affixation
anxiety – anxiousness
 phrasal verbs and set expressions
e.g. to continue – to go on
to smoke – to have a smoke
 Sources of Synonyms
 euphemisms – a shift of unpleasant
meaning of a word to a more pleasant or
milder one
e.g. drunk – merry
naked – in one’s birthday suit