Polysemy and Homonymy
Polysemy and homonymy
--the language phenomenon I’m interested in linguistic study The word polysemy is defined as “having or characterized by many meanings; the existence of several meanings for a single word or phrase.” Thus, the coexistence of several meanings in one, which is quite common, is found in polysemy. Some words develop an entire gamut of meanings, each new meaning forming another point of departure. Several dictionaries treat multiple meanings of one word either as polysemy or as used in homonyms, and sometimes, in fact, differ in their decisions whether certain words should be stated as homonyms or used as polysemy. I think it is generally agreed that in polysemy only one word is being discussed and the name homonym refers to two words that happen to have the same form, i.e. bank, crane. Since there is an extensive area of doubt between the concepts of polysemy and homonymy, being able to distinguish between polysemy words and homonymy words is not an easy task. In the following writings, however, the word polysemy will be utilized as the more inclusive term. It is, therefore, completely appropriate for us to determine that some of the terms or phrases treated as polysemy may really be homonyms. UP is a two letter English word that can be used as several distinct parts of speech. A desk dictionary lists at least thirty different meanings. The following writings are attempts to use some of these numerous meanings in a variety of settings. If I am not used up or burned up before my time is up to give up the ghost or decide it is time to hang it up, I will continue to be up by four each morning to see if I am up to do more writing before I boot up the computer and dress up. If I happen to get up on the wrong side of bed I might turn up to be annoying to others who wake up and sit up and pipe up that they are fed up with flare ups and will not put up with blow ups. They may even suggest that I wise up and cheer up and face
--the language phenomenon I’m interested in linguistic study The word polysemy is defined as “having or characterized by many meanings; the existence of several meanings for a single word or phrase.” Thus, the coexistence of several meanings in one, which is quite common, is found in polysemy. Some words develop an entire gamut of meanings, each new meaning forming another point of departure. Several dictionaries treat multiple meanings of one word either as polysemy or as used in homonyms, and sometimes, in fact, differ in their decisions whether certain words should be stated as homonyms or used as polysemy. I think it is generally agreed that in polysemy only one word is being discussed and the name homonym refers to two words that happen to have the same form, i.e. bank, crane. Since there is an extensive area of doubt between the concepts of polysemy and homonymy, being able to distinguish between polysemy words and homonymy words is not an easy task. In the following writings, however, the word polysemy will be utilized as the more inclusive term. It is, therefore, completely appropriate for us to determine that some of the terms or phrases treated as polysemy may really be homonyms. UP is a two letter English word that can be used as several distinct parts of speech. A desk dictionary lists at least thirty different meanings. The following writings are attempts to use some of these numerous meanings in a variety of settings. If I am not used up or burned up before my time is up to give up the ghost or decide it is time to hang it up, I will continue to be up by four each morning to see if I am up to do more writing before I boot up the computer and dress up. If I happen to get up on the wrong side of bed I might turn up to be annoying to others who wake up and sit up and pipe up that they are fed up with flare ups and will not put up with blow ups. They may even suggest that I wise up and cheer up and face