homonymy.docx

8/12/2019 Homonymy.docx

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Homonymy

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Homonymy is the relation between words with identical forms but different meanings,

whereas the world with this meaning are called homonyms. Homonyms stand for a word or a

group of words that have the same spelling and pronunciation but may have different meanings.

This definition is given in linguistically strict sense. By definition, homonyms aresimultaneouslyhomographs (types of words that share the same spelling, regardless of their

pronunciation) andhomophones (types of words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of

their spelling). The state of certain word being a homonym is called homonymy. The most

common examples of homonyms are the pair bear (an animal) and bear (to carry) and the

pair left (past tense of leave) and left (opposite of right). Somewhat distinction is sometimes

made between "true" homonyms, which are unrelated in origin, such as skate (glide on ice)

and skate (the fish), and polysemous homonyms, orpolysemes,which have a shared origin, such

as mouth (of a river) and mouth (of an animal).

As Tom McArthur noted, There is na extensive grey area between the concepts

ofpolysemy and homonymy1

Linguist Deborah Tannen has used the term pragmatic homonymy(orambiguity) to describe

the phenomenon by which two speakers "use the same linguistic devices to achieve different

ends."2

The term "homonym" may be used, although somewhat confusingly, to refer to words that areeither homographs or homophones in non-technical contexts. In this loosersense, the word

bow (verb, to bow) and bow (noun, a weapon) are considered homonyms, as are the

words read (peruse) and reed (waterside plant).

Etymology

The word homonym originates from theGreek (homonumos), meaning "having the

same name". The word itself is the conjunction of (homos), "common, same" and

(onoma) meaning "name". Thus, it refers to two or more distinct concepts sharing the "same

name" or signifier.

1Tom McArthur, Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language, 2005

2Conversational Style, Deborah Tannen, Oxford University press, 2005
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguisticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homographhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polysemyhttp://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/polysemyterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/linguisterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/terms/g/ambiguity.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_languagehttp://grammar.about.com/od/terms/g/ambiguity.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/linguisterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/polysemyterm.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polysemyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homographhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistics


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Related terms

Term Meaning Spelling Pronunciation

Homonym Different Same Same

Homograph Different Same Same or different

Homophone Different Same or different Same

Heteronym Different Same Different

Heterograph Different Different Same

Polyseme Different but related Same Same or different

CapitonymDifferent when

capitalized

Same except for

capitalizationSame or different

Synonym Same Different Different


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Several similar linguistic concepts are related to homonymy, such as:

Homographs(literally "same writing"), which are usually defined as words that share

the same spelling, regardless of how they are pronounced. If they are pronounced the same

then they are also homophones (and homonyms) for example, bark (the sound of a dog)

and bark (the skin of a tree). If they are pronounced differently then they are

alsoheteronymsfor example, bow (the front of a ship) and bow (a ranged weapon).

Homophones(literally "same sound") are usually defined as words that share the same

pronunciation, regardless of how they are spelled. If they are spelled the same then they are

also homographs (and homonyms); if they are spelled differently then they arealso heterographs(literally "different writing"). Homographic examples

include rose (flower) and rose (past tense of rise). Heterographic examples

include to, too, two, and there, their, theyre.

Heteronyms(literally "different name") are the subset of homographs (words that share

the same spelling) that have different pronunciations (and meanings). Such words

include desert (to abandon) and desert (arid region); tear (to rip) and tear (a drop of moisture

formed in the eye); row (to argue or an argument) and row (as in to row a boat or a row of

seats - a pair of homophones). Heteronyms are also sometimes called heterophones(literally

"different sound").

Polysemesare words with the same spelling and distinct but related meanings. The

distinction between polysemy and homonymy is often subtle and subjective, and not all

sources consider polysemous words to be homonyms. Words such a smouth, meaning either

the orifice on one's face, or the opening of acave orriver,are polysemous and may or may

not be considered homonyms.

Capitonymsare words that share the same spelling but have different meanings when

capitalized (and may or may not have different pronunciations). Such words

include polish (to make shiny) andPolish (from Poland); march (organized, uniformed,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homographhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homographhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteronym_(linguistics)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteronym_(linguistics)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteronym_(linguistics)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polysemyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polysemyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitonymhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitonymhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitonymhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polysemyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteronym_(linguistics)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heteronym_(linguistics)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homophonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homograph


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steady and rhythmic walking forward) and March (the third month of the year in the

Gregorian Calendar). However, both polish and march at the beginning of sentences still

need to be capitalized.

A further example of a homonym, which is both a homophone and a homograph,

is fluke. Fluke can mean:

A fish, and aflatworm.

- The end parts of ananchor.- The fins on awhale's tail.- A stroke ofluck.

These meanings represent at least threeetymologically separatelexemes, but share the one

form, fluke.

Similarly, a river bank, a savings bank, a bank of switches, and a bank shot in pool share a

common spelling and pronunciation, but differ in meaning.

The words bow and bough are examples where there are two meanings associated with a single

pronunciation and spelling (the weapon and the knot); two meanings with two different

pronunciations (the knot and the act of bending at the waist), and two distinct meanings sharing

the same sound but different spellings (bow, the act of bending at the waist, and bough, the

branch of a tree). In addition, it has several related but distinct meanings a bent line is

sometimes called a 'bowed' line, reflecting its similarity to the weapon. Even according to the

most restrictive definitions, various pairs of sounds and meanings of bow, Bow and bough are

homonyms, homographs, homophones, heteronyms, heterographs, capitonyms and are

polysemous.

- bowa long wooden stick with horse hair that is used to play certainstringinstruments such as theviolin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatwormhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luckhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexemehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_instrumenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_instrumenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_instrumenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_instrumenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexemehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luckhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatworm


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- bowto bend forward at the waist in respect (e.g. "bow down")- bowthe front of the ship (e.g. "bow and stern")- bowa kind of tied ribbon (e.g. bow on a present, a bowtie)- bowto bend outward at the sides (e.g. a "bow-legged" cowboy)- Bowa district inLondon- bow -- a weapon to shoot projectiles with (e.g. a bow and arrow)- bougha branch on a tree. (e.g. "when the bough breaks...")

Quotations and observations:

"Homonyms are illustrated from the various meanings of the word bear (= animal, carry)

orear (of body, of corn). In these examples, the identity covers both the spoken and written

forms, but it is possible to have partial homonymy(orheteronymy), where the identity is

within a single medium, as inhomophony andhomography. When there isambiguity

between homonyms (whether non-deliberate or contrived, as inriddles andpuns),

ahomonymic clash or conflict is said to have occurred."

(David Crystal. A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, 6th ed. Blackwell, 2008)

"Examples (of homonymy) are peer ('person belonging to the same group in age and status')

and peer ('look searchingly'), or peep ('making a feeble shrill sound') and peep ('look

cautiously')."

(Sidney Greenbaum and Gerald Nelson, An Introduction to English Grammar, 3rd ed.

Pearson, 2009)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow,_Londonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Londonhttp://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/homonymterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/heteronymsterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/homophones.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/homogrterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/terms/g/ambiguity.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/riddleterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/punterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/punterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/riddleterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/terms/g/ambiguity.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/homogrterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/homophones.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/heteronymsterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/fh/g/homonymterm.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Londonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bow,_London


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Homonymy and Polysemy

"Homonymyandpolysemyboth involve one lexical form that is associated with multiple

senses and as such both are possible sources oflexical ambiguity.But while homonyms are

distinctlexemes that happen to share the same form, in polysemy a single lexeme is

associated with multiple senses. The distinction between homonymy and polysemy is usually

made on the basis of the relatedness of the senses: polysemy involves related senses, whereas

the senses associated with homonymous lexemes are not related."

(M. Lynne Murphy and Anu Koskela, Key Terms in Semantics, Continuum 2010)

"Linguists have long distinguished between polysemy and homonymy(e.g., Lyons 1977: 22,

235). Usually, an account like the following is given. Homonymy obtains when two words

accidentally have the same form, such as bank 'land bordering on a river' and bank 'financial

institution.' Polysemy obtains where one word has several similar meanings, such

as may indicating 'permission' (e.g, May I go now?) and may indicating possibility (e.g., It

may never happen). Since it is not easy to say when two meanings are totally different or

unrelated (as in homonymy) or when they are just a little different and related (as in

polysemy), it has been customary to adduce additional, more easily decidable criteria.

"The trouble is that, although helpful, these criteria are not totally compatible and do not go

all the way. There are cases where we may think that the meanings are clearly distinct and that

we therefore have homonymy, but which cannot be distinguished by the given linguistic

formal criteria, e.g., charm may denote 'a kind of interpersonal attraction' and may also be

used in physics denoting 'a kind of physical energy.' Not even the word bank, usually given in

most textbooks as the archetypical example of homonymy, is clear-cut. Both the 'financial

bank' and the 'river bank' meanings derive by a process ofmetonymy andmetaphor,

respectively from Old French banc 'bench.' Since bank in its two meanings belongs to the

samepart of speech and is not associated with twoinflectionalparadigms, the meanings

of bank are not a case of homonymy by any of the above criteria. . . . Traditional linguistic

criteria for distinguishing homonymy from polysemy, although no doubt helpful, in the end
http://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/polysemyterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/lexicalambiguityterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/lexemeterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/metonymy.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/metaphorterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/partsspeechterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/inflecterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/inflecterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/partsspeechterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/metaphorterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/metonymy.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/lexemeterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/lexicalambiguityterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/polysemyterm.htm


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turn out to be insufficient."

(Jens Allwood, "Meaning Potentials and Context: Some Consequences for the Analysis of

Variation in Meaning." Cognitive Approaches to Lexical Semantics, ed. by Hubert Cuyckens,

Ren Dirven, and John R. Taylor. Walter de Gruyter, 2003)

"Dictionaries recognize the distinction between polysemy and homonymyby making a

polysemous item a single dictionary entry and making homophonouslexemes two or more

separate entries. Thus head is one entry and bank is entered twice. Producers of dictionaries

often make a decision in this regard on the basis ofetymology, which is not necessarily

relevant, and in fact separate entries are necessary in some instances when two lexemes have a

common origin. The form pupil, for instance, has two different senses, 'part of the eye' and

'school child.' Historically these have a common origin but at present they are semantically

unrelated. Similarly,flower and flour were originally 'the same word,' and so were the

verbs to poach (a way of cooking in water) and to poach 'to hunt animals on another person's

land', but the meanings are now far apart and all dictionaries treat them as homonyms, with

separate listing. The distinction between homonymy and polysemy is not an easy one to make.

Two lexemes are either identical in form or not, but relatedness of meaning is not a matter of

yes or no; it is a matter of more or less."

(Charles W. Kreidler, Introducing English Semantics. Routledge, 1998)
http://grammar.about.com/od/d/g/dictionaryterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/lexemeterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/e/g/etymologyterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/alightersideofwriting/a/Flour-And-Flower.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/alightersideofwriting/a/Flour-And-Flower.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/e/g/etymologyterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/lexemeterm.htmhttp://grammar.about.com/od/d/g/dictionaryterm.htm


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