Semantic Ambiguity. Polysemy. Homonymy

1.

Polysemy
Homonymy

2.

Monosemantic words
Polysemantic words
Polysemy is a linguistic phenomenon inherent in
the very nature of words. Polysemantic words are
words having two or more meanings.

3.

Sources of polysemy
- convergence of homonyms
- derived meanings
Lexical-semantic naming of concepts related by
similarity or contiguity is used to create both
figurative and direct names.
Direct names:
instruments
parts of any structure including body
actions, events and their results
qualities
different abstract concepts

4.

There are certain regularities in using lexicalsemantic means of naming.
Ex. Words denoting an animal are regularly used
to denote:
some other animal
their flesh or objects made of parts of their
bodies
a quality of a person
an instrument or appliance
a sign in the Zodiac

5.

Lexical-semantic variants (LSV)
Synchronic approach
- basic/central/major meaning
- peripheral/ minor meanings
Diachronic approach
- primary meaning
- secondary/derived meanings

6.

Synchronic approach
Diachronic approach

7.

Causes: extralinguistic or linguistic
Extralinguistic cause:
- word meaning changes due to change in the
nature of related object or in concepts about it
- word meaning changes also due to the social
phenomena of taboos and euphemisms –
avoiding particular words and using others
instead.
Linguistic causes: differentiation of synonyms;
lingustic analogy; ellipsis

8.

The nature of change of word meaning is
determined by the secondary application of the
word form to name a different yet related
concept.
Lexical-semantic naming
Similarity - metaphor
Contiguity – metonymy

9.

Changes in the denotational component:
- restriction (or narrowing), specialization
- extension (or widening), generalization
- semantic shift
Changes in the connotational component:
- ameliorative development (amelioration)
- pejorative development (pejoration)

10.

Homonymy is a linguistic phenomenon when
one symbol renders several different
meanings.
Homonyms are words (two or more) identical in
sound form or spelling but different in meaning,
distribution and origin. Identity of words is
coincidental.

11.

Monosyllabic character of English;
Analytic structure of English;
Predominance of free forms in English;
Highly developed polysemy in English.

12.

-
-
A. I. Smirnitsky:
full homonyms (n. ball / n. ball)
partial homonyms: a) simple lex.-gr.: v. found –
inf. / v. found – past from find; b) complex lex.-gr.
- n. rose / v. rose from rise; c) partial lex. (v. can –
could; v. can – canned, canned)
I. V. Arnold:
homonyms proper (ball / ball)
Homographs (lead [led] / lead [li:d])
homophones (night – knight)