Homonyms

Definition of HomonymyDefinition of HomonymyDiachronic Study of Homonymy Diachronic Study of Homonymy

and Sources of Homonymsand Sources of HomonymsHomonyms treated synchronically Homonyms treated synchronically

Classification of homonymsClassification of homonyms

Definition of HomonymyDefinition of Homonymy

Greek Greek homonymous – homos “the same” and onoma “name”

Two or more words identical in sound form and spelling, or, at least, in one of these aspects, but different in meaning, distribution and (in many cases) in origin

are called homonyms

Reasons for intense Reasons for intense development of homonyms in development of homonyms in

EnglishEnglishmonosyllabic character of the monosyllabic character of the

languagelanguageanalytic structure of Englishanalytic structure of Englishpredominance of free forms in predominance of free forms in

EnglishEnglishhigh-developed polysemyhigh-developed polysemy

Sources of Homonymy

1.1. Convergent development of Convergent development of sound formsound form

2.2. Divergent meaning Divergent meaning developmentdevelopment

Convergent development of Convergent development of sound form (phonetic changes)sound form (phonetic changes)

two or more words which were two or more words which were pronounced differently at an earlier date pronounced differently at an earlier date develop identical sound formsdevelop identical sound forms

e.g. OE e.g. OE зemane “common”

mean

OE OE manen “think”

Divergent semantic development Divergent semantic development (split polysemy)(split polysemy)

different meanings of the same different meanings of the same word move so far away from each word move so far away from each other that they come to be other that they come to be regarded as two separate unitsregarded as two separate units

chestchest “large box” “large box”e.g. OE e.g. OE cestcest

chestchest “part of human “part of human body” body”

Other Sources of Homonymy

shorteningshorteninge.g. fan – “an implement for waving lightly to

produce a cool current of air”

fan fanatic sound-imitatione.g. bang – “a loud, sudden, explosive sound

bang – “a fringe of hair combed over the forehead”

Other Sources of Homonymy

borrowingsborrowings

e.g. bank – “a shore” – a native word

bank – “a financial institution” - an Italian borrowing

Synchronic Approach to Synchronic Approach to HomonymyHomonymy

1.1. the criteria distinguishing homonymy the criteria distinguishing homonymy from polysemyfrom polysemy

2.2. the formulation of rules for the formulation of rules for recognizing different meanings of recognizing different meanings of homonyms in terms of their homonyms in terms of their distributiondistribution

Homonymy and Polysemy

Semantic criterion of related and unrelated meanings – connections between the various meanings are apprehended by speakers or not apprehended

Homonymy and Polysemy

radiation - primary meaning stands in the center, secondary meanings proceed out of it like rays

polysemy

Homonymy and Polysemy

concatenation – secondary meanings develop like a chain. It is difficult to trace some meanings to the primary one.

homonymy

Distribution Criterion

homonyms differ in their syntactic homonyms differ in their syntactic functionfunction

e.g. I think that this “that” is a conjunction but that that “that” that that man used was a pronoun.

Professor A. I. Smirnitsky’s Professor A. I. Smirnitsky’s Classification of HomonymsClassification of Homonyms

1. full homonyms

2. partial homonyms

Full homonyms words which represent the same words which represent the same

category of parts of speech and have category of parts of speech and have the same paradigmthe same paradigm

have the same spelling an have the same spelling an pronunciationpronunciation

e.g. e.g. matchmatch – a game, a contest – a game, a contest match match – a short piece of wood for – a short piece of wood for producing fireproducing fire

Partial homonyms1.1. simple lexico-grammatical partial simple lexico-grammatical partial

homonyms homonyms belong to the same part of speech their paradigms have only one

identical form it is never the same form

Simple lexico-grammatical Simple lexico-grammatical partial homonymspartial homonyms

e.g. e.g. to foundto found, verb, verb

foundfound, verb (Past Ind., Past. Part. of , verb (Past Ind., Past. Part. of to findto find))

e.g. to lay, verb

lay, verb (Past Ind. of to lie)

Partial homonyms2. 2. Complex lexico-grammatical

partial homonyms belong to different parts of speech have one identical form in their paradigmse.g. rose, noun

rose, verb (Pat Ind. of to rise)e.g. one, numeral

won, verb (Past Ind., Past Part. of to win)

Partial homonyms3. Partial lexical homonymsbelong to the same part of speech identical only in corresponding forms

of their paradigmse.g. to lie (lay, lain), verb

to lie (lied, lied), verbe.g. to can (canned, canned)

(I) can (could)

Walter Skeat’s classification of Homonyms

homonyms proper – words identical in pronunciation and spelling

e.g. a ball (a sphere) – a ball (a dancing party)

homophones – words of the same sound form but different in spelling

e.g. sent (Past Inf., Past Part. of to send) – scent - cent

Walter Skeat’s classification of Homonyms

homographeshomographes – – words have the words have the same spelling but different sound same spelling but different sound formform

e.g. e.g. to bow [bаu], verb – bow [bəu], noun

to tear [teə], verb – tear [tiə], noun

Classification of Homonyms Classification of Homonyms by R.S. Ginzburgby R.S. Ginzburg

1. full homonyms – words belonging to the same part of speech and having the same paradigms

e.g. a seal (тюлень) – a seal (печать)

2. partial homonyms – word-forms belonging to different parts of speech

e.g. a seal – to seal

Classification of homonyms Classification of homonyms according to their meaningaccording to their meaning

lexical homonyms – words that differ in their lexical meaning but identical in their grammatical meaning

e.g. a seal (тюлень) – a seal (печать)

Classification of homonyms Classification of homonyms according to their meaningaccording to their meaning

lexico-grammatical homonyms – belong to different parts of speech and have different lexical and grammatical meanings

e.g. a seal - to seal

Classification of homonyms Classification of homonyms according to their meaningaccording to their meaning

grammatical homonyms – different word-forms of one and the same word are identical

e.g. a seal – seals – seal’s – seals’