Polysemy and homonymy

Polysemy and Homonymy
Polysemy: A word is polysemic when it has more than one
meaning. The word plain, for example, has several meanings,
including: ‘easy, clear’, ‘underdecorated’, ‘not good-looking’ and
‘a level area of plan’. Plain is thus polysemic.( a single word with
more than one meaning)
Homonyms can be either homophones or homographs, or both.
Homophones : two or more words are homonymic when they
sound the same but have different meanings. The words I, eye and
aye are homonymic: they have different meanings but are identical
in spoken form.( several words with the same form but different
meanings)
Homographs: words which are written in the same way but which
are pronounced differently and have different meanings.
a) The ship was listing badly.
We are listing the requirements for the course.
b) He gave her a diamond ring.
His glass left a ring on the table.
c) They came to a fork in the road.
He placed the fork beside the knife on the plate.
d) The dog tried to lap the water.
The cat sat in my lap.
e) The dog had no bark.
Don’t remove the bark from the tree.
f) You tried the rest. Now try the best.
My aching limbs cried out for rest.

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g) Lend me your pen.

They put the pigs in the pen.
h) I got a cut lip.
The lip of the cup was chipped.

Hyponymy
Hyponymy: a relationship between two words, in which the
meaning of one of the words includes the meaning of the other
word.
Arrange the words in each group so that every word is a hyponym of the
word immediately before it.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)

mouse, rodent, mammal
house, building, bungalow, structure
run, jog, move
pistol, weapon, firearm, revolver
person, uncle, relative
dog, beast, hound, beagle
pilfer, steal, take

Synonymy
Synonymy: a word which has the same, or nearly the same,
meaning as another word. Sometimes two words may be
synonymous in certain sentences only.

Which of the following words or expressions appear to have the same or
very similar meanings; list them in pairs of letters:
a) effluent

b) knock over c) sympathise d) boycott e) outflow
Polysemy f) construct
g) show sympathy h) the day after today i) endure j) build up k) put up
with

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l) tomorrow

m) take a calculated guess at n) estimate

Paraphrase
A piece of text (especially a sentence) that expresses the ‘same’
meaning as another piece of text in a different way.
a) John is the parent of James.
James is the child of John.
b) My father owns this car.
This car belongs to my father.
c) Some countries have no coastline.
Not all countries have a coastline.
d) Mr. Birling killed Eva Smith.
Eva Smith was killed by Mr. Birling.
e) Her name sounds familiar to Mr. Birling.
Her name rings a bell with Mr. Birling.
f) He lectured me about that particular space.

I was lectured by the man about that particular space.
g) Biff and Tammy are good scouts.
Tammy and Biff are good scouts.

Entailment
One sentence entails another if the meaning of the first sentence
includes the meaning of the second.
A relationship between two sentences such that if the first is
true, the second must also be true.
a) All dogs have fleas.
My dog has fleas.

b) I am wearing black boots.
I am wearing black footwear

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c) I ran home last night.

d) My socks are bright red.

I went home last night.

My socks are red.

e) Henry was chewing a tulip.
Henry was chewing a flower.

f) Henry chewed up all my flowers.

Henry chewed up all my tulips.

g) Henry was not chewing a flower.
Henry was not chewing a tulip.

Ambiguity
Explain the semantic ambiguity of the following sentences by providing
two sentences that paraphrase the two meanings.
a. She can’t bear children.
b. Each of Mary’s sons hated his brothers.
c. The new computer and printer were left at the door.
d. I talked with every student about his problems.
e. Ringing bells did not annoy him.
f. Nobody would keep matches near his child’s crib.
g. He likes galloping horses.
h. In his drawer each of the manager keeps a gun.
i. Everyone believes that a pretty woman loves him.

1. What is the lexical relation between the following pairs of words?
a) shallow – deep
b) mature- ripe
c) suite – sweet

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d) table – furniture
e) single – married
f) move – run

2. What semantic feature or property differentiates the following sets of
nouns?
a) niece, daughter, sister vs nun, woman, girl
b) mailman, nephew, priest vs gander, stag, bull
c) hen, ewe, cow vs rooster, ram, bull
d) table, chair, pencil vs love, thought, idea
e) table, chair, pencil vs water, dirt, cream

3. Which of the following sentences are not semantically well formed?
Explain what is wrong with the ones you reject?
1. She bought this book here at a discount sale.
2. She was given this book there by its author.
3. I would like to buy this book you have there.
4. I don’t want that book you have there.
5. I’ll come there and meet you at 4.30.
6. I’ll go and meet you here at 4.30.
7. If you will wait there, I’ll go and meet you after work.
4. In the following pairs of words, what is the fixed order?
1. this, that

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2. go, come
3. now, then
4. there, here
5. I, you
6. I, he
7. you, he

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