Homonyms, homophones and homographs can bring
confusion to even adults and teachers! VocabularySpellingCity can help anyone
master these word groups. For clarity, we've brought them all together on one
page. It makes it easier to learn the difference among the three types of words
using the definitions and homonyms, homophones and homographs examples below.
Homonyms
Homonyms, or multiple meaning words, are
words that share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different
meanings. For example, bear.
A bear (the
animal) can bear (tolerate) very cold temperatures.
The driver
turned left (opposite of right) and left (departed from) the main road.
Homophones, also known as sound-alike words, are
words that are pronounced identically although they have different meanings and
often have different spellings as well. These words are a very common source of
confusion when writing. Common examples of sets of homophones include: to, too,
and two; they're and their; bee and be; sun and son; which and witch; and plain
and plane.
Homographs
Homographs are words that are spelled the
same, but have different meanings and are often pronounced differently as well.
Some examples of homographs are:
bass as in fish vs bass as in music
bow as in arrow vs bow as in bending or taking a bow at the end of a performance
close as in next to vs close as in shut the door
desert as in dry climate vs desert as in leaving alone.
Currently, VocabularySpellingCity cannot distinguish between homographs, as we are unable to have two pronounciations for the exact same word. We are looking for possibilities in the future.
SOURCE:
https://www.spellingcity.com/homophones-and-homonyms.html
Polysemy is the association of one word with
two or more distinct meanings. A polyseme is a word or phrase with multiple
meanings. Adjective: polysemous or polysemic. In contrast, a one-to-one match
between a word and a meaning is called monosemy. According to William Croft,
"Monosemy is probably most clearly found in specialized vocabulary dealing
with technical topics" (The Handbook of Linguistics, 2003).
According
to some estimates, more than 40% of English words have more than one meaning.
The fact that so many words (orlexemes) are polysemous "shows that
semantic changes often add meanings to the language without subtracting
any" (M. Lynne Murphy, Lexical Meaning, 2010).
Polysemy also mean is the existence of several
meanings for a single word or phrase. The word polysemy comes from the Greek
words πολυ-, poly-, “many”
and σήμα, sêma, “sign”. In other words it is
the capacity for a word, phrase, or sign to have multiple meanings i.e., a
large semantic field. Polysemy is a pivotal concept within the humanities, such
as media studies and linguistics.
A
word like walk is polysemous:
She
walks the tower (to haunt a place as a ghost).
The
workers threatened to walk (to go on strike).
Walk
with God! (to live your life in a particular way)
Semantic Structure of
Polysemantic Words
Synchronically, the problem of polysemy ie
the problem of interrelation and interdependence of different meanings of the
same word. The semantic structure of a polysemantic word is the sum total of
relations between its lexico-semantic variants.
The
analysis of the semantic structure of a polysemantic word is based onthe
following set of oppositions:
1.
Direct-derived meaning: rat – animal like, but larger than a mouse; rat
–cowardly person; strike-breaker.
2.
Extended-restricted meaning: to knock – strike, hit; to knock – of a petrol
engine – make a tapping or thumping noise.
3.
Free-bound meaning: hat – cover for the head; hat – nonsense (to speak through
one’s hat).
4.
General-specialized meaning: case – instance or example of the occurence of
smth; case – (med.) person suffering from a disease.
SOURCE:
http://www.afv.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=161:polysemy-a-homonymy&catid=121:miscellaneous&Itemid=352
http://grammar.about.com/od/pq/g/polysemyterm.htmL
Definition of
Proverb
Proverb
is a brief, simple and popular saying, or a phrase that gives advice and
effectively embodies a commonplace truth based on practical experience or
common sense. A proverb may have an allegorical message behind its odd
appearance. The reason of popularity is due to its usage in spoken language as
well as in the folk literature. Some authors twist and bend proverbs and create
anti-proverbs to add literary effects to their works. However, in poetry, poets
use proverbs strategically by employing some parts of them in poems’ titles
such as Lord Kennet has written a poem, A Bird in the Bush, which is a popular
proverb.
Function of
Proverb
Proverbs
play very important roles in different types of literary works. The most
important function of proverbs is to teach and educate the audience. They often
contain an expert advice with a role for educating the readers on what they may
face if they would do something. Hence, proverbs play a didactic role, as they
play a universal role in teaching wisdom and sagacity to the common people.
Since proverbs are usually metaphorical and indirect; therefore, they allow
writers to express their message in a less harsh way.
The Differences
Idiom and Proverb
An idiom is a phrase that has a meaning of its own that cannot be
understood from the meanings of its individual words.
Here are some examples of idioms:
to be fed up with means to be tired and annoyed with something that has
been happening for too long
A proverb is a short
popular saying that gives advice about how people should behave or that
expresses a belief that is generally thought to be true. Here are some
examples:
Don’t cry over spilled milk.
Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
A stitch in time saves nine.
Like idioms, proverbs often have a meaning that is greater than the
meaning of the individual words put together, but in a different way than
idioms. The literal meaning of an idiom usually doesn’t make sense, and idioms
can be almost impossible to understand unless you have learned or heard them
before.
The literal meaning of a proverb such as “Don’t cry over spilled milk”
does makes sense on its own, but it’s not until you apply this meaning to a
broader set of situations that you understand the real point of the proverb.
For example, “Don’t cry over spilled milk” means “Don’t get upset over
something that has already been done. It’s too late to worry about it now, just
get on with your life.”
Source:
www. ProverbExamplesandDefinition.Proverb.html
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