The properties of the words as the basic units of the language

18Context. Types of context
19.Word meaning and motivation.
20Polysemy and context.
.From the discussion of the paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations it follows that a full understanding of the semantic structure of any lexical item can be gained only from the study of a variety of contexts in which the word is used, i.e. from the study of the intralinguistic relations of words in the flow of speech. This is of greatest importance in connection with the problem of the synchronic approach to polysemy.
It will be recalled that in analysing the semantic structure of the polysemantic word table we observed that some meanings are representative of the word in isolation, i.e. they invariably occur to us when we hear the word or see it written on paper. Other meanings come to the fore only when the word is used in certain contexts. This is true of all polysemantic words. The adjective yellow, e.g., when used in isolation is understood to denote a certain colour, whereas other meanings of this word, e.g. ‘envious’, ‘suspicious’ or ‘sensational’, ‘corrupt’, are perceived only in certain contexts, e.g. ‘a yellow look’, ‘the yellow press’, etc.

As can be seen from the examples discussed above we understand by the term context the minimal stretch of speech determining each individual meaning of the word. This is not to imply that polysemantic words have meanings only in the context. The semantic structure of the word has an objective existence as a dialectical entity which embodies

21.Classification of homonyms:

The subdivision of homonyms mentioned above is certainly not precise enough and does not reflect certain important feature of these words, and, most important of all, their status as parts of speech.

Table of Contents

1 According to the A.I Smirnitsky homonyms are classified into two large classes
2 Polysemy versus homonymy
According to the A.I Smirnitsky homonyms are classified into two large classes
1. Full homonyms:
Full lexical homonyms are words which represent the same category of parts of speech and have the same paradigm
– match : a game , a contest
– match : a short piece of word used producing fire
– wren : member of the Women’s royal Naval Service
– wren : a bird
2. Partial homonyms: are subdivided into three subgroups:
a. Simple lexico-grammatical partial homonyms: are words which belong to the same category of parts of speech. Their paradigm has one identical form, but it is never the same form, as will be seen from these examples:
– (to) found (v): past indefinite, past participle of “to find”

– to lay (v): past indefinite of “to lie”

b. Complex lexico-grammatical partial homonyms: are words of different category of parts of speech which have one identical form in their paradigms:
– Rose (n)
-Rose (v) : past indefinite of to rise
– maid (n)
made (v) : past indefinite , past participle of to make
– left (a)
– left (v) : past indefinite, past participle of to leave
– bean (n)
-bean (v) : past participle of “tobe”
c. Partial lexical homonyms: are words of the same category of part of speech which are identical only in their corresponding forms:
– to lie ( lay, lain ) (v)
– to lie ( lied, lied ) v
– to hang ( hung, hung)v
To hang ( hanged, hanged(v).
Acad. V.V. Vinogradov established the following classification of syno­nyms: ideographic, stylistic, ideographic-stylistic, contextual, absolute (total).

Ideographic synonyms are words conveying the same notion but differing in shades of meaning or emotions expressed: a piece - a lump - a slice; to tremble - to shiver - to shudder; anger - fury; to like - to admire - to love.

Stylistic synonyms are words conveying the same notion but different in stylistic characteristics:

to begin - to start - to commence;

sky - heaven (poetic);

to see - to behold (archaic);

horse - steed (poetic);

to try - to endeavour (bookish).

Stylistic colouring may also be accompanied by a difference in emotional colouring or some other shades of meaning:

to say - to pronounce;

head - onion;

money - cabbage;

face - puss.

Such synonyms are called ideographic-stylistic.

Contextual synonyms are similar in meaning only under some specific distributional conditions. Thus, the words bear, stand, suffer are synonyms only when used in the negative form: can't stand it - can't suffer it - can't bear it. Otherwise, all these verbs are semantically different.

Absolute (total) synonyms are words coinciding in all their shades of meaning and in all their stylistic characteristics. Absolute synonyms are usu­ally technical and scientific terms, they are rare in the vocabulary and tempo­rary. The vocabulary system tends to reject one of the absolute synonyms or to develop differentiation of characteristics in one or both (or all) of them: noun -substantive; flection - ending; oculist - eye-specialist.