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Jetzt kostenlos anmeldenSynonymy relates to the topic of semantics, which concerns the study of meaning in language. The term synonymy originates from the Greek words sún and onoma, which mean with and name.
Synonymy in semantics refers to a word with the same (or nearly the same) meaning as another word.
Let's see if you've grasped the concept of synonymy by finding two synonymous words in these sentences:
The first sentence uses awful to describe the weather and the second uses terrible. Although both sentences use different words, they have the same meaning: bad. In other words, awful and terrible are synonyms of bad.
Important note: Be careful of the slight differences between the synonyms. Not every synonymous word fits in all situations, eg small isn't exactly the same as tiny. You have to consider some factors, including the context, the relationship between words, register, and regional variation, among others. Take a look at the 'types of synonymy' section for more details.
To test whether two words are synonyms (or synonymous), we can use a substitution method: if one word can be replaced by another without changing the meaning/sense of the sentence, the two words are synonyms. The opposite of synonymy is antonymy. Synonymy can be found across all parts of speech: in nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc.
A ≈ B
Here are some examples of synonyms:
big-large
small - little
easy - effortless
difficult - hard
Let's put the synonyms into a sentence and use the substitution method:
1a. You have a big house.
1b. You have a large house.
By substituting big with large, we can keep the sentence's meaning (the description of the house) in a similar degree/sense as the original sentence.
2a. He had a difficult decision to make.
2b. He had a hard decision to make.
The same as before, the substitution of difficult with hard does not change the sentence's meaning (the description of the decision).
Synonymy is one of the literary devices in which a word is replaced with another word with a similar meaning, to avoid repetition.
Here are some examples of synonymy in literature:
If there's just one kind of folks, why can't they get along with each other? If they're all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? Scout, I think I'm beginning to understand something. I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley's stayed shut up in the house all this time. It's because he wants to stay inside.
- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960.
Instead of repeating the word one kind, Lee chooses its synonym: alike, to relay a similar meaning to 'very similar'. The same thing happens in the case of stayed shut up in the house and stay inside. Using synonymy, Lee enriches the prose by avoiding repetition while keeping the meaning similar in both cases.
For thee I watch, whilst thou dost wake elsewhere.
- William Shakespeare, Sonnet 61, 1609.
Wake is a synonym of watch. Here, wake means 'to stay awake to watch or tend' (Oxford English Dictionary). Notice the slightly richer sense of see in watch compared to wake, yet the two words carry a similar meaning. By adopting synonymy, Shakespeare enhances the quality of the words he uses.
I love your daughter fondly, dearly, disinterestedly, devotedly. If ever there were love in the world, I love her.
- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859.
Fondly and devotedly are synonyms that describe 'a way to show great love for somebody/something' (Oxford Learner's Dictionary). Using two different words with a similar meaning, Dickens describes how strong the character's feelings are (how I love your daughter) without repeating the word.
Now that we've looked at the concept, let's examine the two types of synonymy:
Absolute synonyms
Partial synonyms
With absolute synonyms, the meaning and function of the synonymous words are exactly the same. If you have a pair of absolutely synonymous words, you can substitute the words in every possible context (semantic, grammatical, sociolinguistic, etc.) with its synonym. This condition is very rare because, usually, two words that refer to the same meaning/object can't co-exist. An example of an absolute synonym is airport and aerodrome. The former is what we commonly use nowadays, whereas the latter is an old-fashioned word.
Partial synonyms, on the other hand, occur when words have very closely related meanings. The meanings are not exactly the same, only partially, but close enough to relay the same message. Partial synonyms can differ in their collocation, register, and regional/social variation.
Have a look at these examples of partial synonyms:
1. We have a big problem. | Although gigantic is synonymous with big, the word combination of gigantic problem (1c) doesn't sound natural. This is what's called a collocation (a pairing of words with a high level of frequency). |
a. We have a large problem. | |
b. We have a huge problem. | |
c. We have a gigantic problem. |
2a. The tickets can only be bought online. | Generally, buy and purchase mean 'to obtain something by paying money for it' (Oxford Learner's Dictionary). However, the two words differ in their register. Buy is considered a general term, whereas purchase is often used in a more formal context. |
2 B. The tickets can only be purchased online. |
3a. It's been a very chilly autumn this year. | Both autumn and fall mean 'the season of the year between summer and winter.' But, autumn is Commonly used in British English, while fall is used in American English. They differ in regional/social variety. |
3b. It's been a very chilly fall this year. |
Synonymous words are words that carry similar meanings (meaning 1 is similar to meaning 2 and meaning 3). Homonymous words (homonymy) are words that are pronounced the same or spelt the same (or both), but their meanings are dissimilar.
Important to note: Homonym is a broader term for homophone (words that sound the same but have different meanings) and homograph (words that are spelt the same but have different meanings).
When a set of different words carries a similar meaning it is called synonymy. When a single word has several meanings (word form 1 has meaning 1 and meaning 2), it is called polysemy.
Synonymy - similar meanings: wing - extension & section.
Even though the word wing is replaced with extension, we still get the same information about 'a new section of the hospital is currently being constructed and it is for the maternity department'. The meaning of extension isn't exactly the same as wing , but similar.
The same explanation can also be found here. We still get the same information about where my room is: on the west side of the building.
Polysemy - multiple meanings: wing - animal parts for flying & a section of a building.
They are building a new wing for the maternity department.
The meaning of wing in this sentence refers to 'a section of building' and not 'animal parts for flying'.
The bird's wing is broken.
Here, the meaning of wing is about the 'animal parts for flying' and not 'a section of a building'.
Synonymy is a term for words with the same or nearly the same meaning as another word.
Some examples of synonymy are big - large, small - little, easy - effortless, difficult - hard.
Synonymy is pronounced si-no-ni-mi (/ sɪˈnənɪmi /).
Synonymy is about words that have similar meanings: A is similar to B. Homonymy are words that have different meanings but are pronounced or spelled the same, or both: the meaning of A is different from B, but A is pronounced or spelled, or pronounced and spelled the same as B.
Synonymy is about words that have similar meanings: A is similar to B. Polysemy is about one word that has many meanings: A means B and C.
What is synonymy?
Synonymy is a term for a word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another word. If you substitute synonymous words, the meaning / sense of the sentence doesn't change.
What are the two types of synonyms?
The two types of synonyms are absolute and partial synonyms.
Are the sentences below synonymous with each other? If so, is it an absolute or a partial synonym (collocation, register, or regional / social variety)?
Yes, the two sentences are partial synonyms in collocation.
Are the sentences below synonymous with each other? If so, is it an absolute or a partial synonym (collocation, register, or regional / social variety)?
Yes, the two sentences are partial synonyms in register. Endeavour has a similar meaning to try but has a higher degree of formality.
Are the sentences below synonymous with each other? If so, is it an absolute or a partial synonym (collocation, register, or regional / social variety)?
The two sentences are partial synonyms in regional / social variety. Truck has a similar meaning to lorry but is commonly used in American English (lorry is more common in British English).
True or false - Absolute synonyms are common.
False. Absolute synonyms are very rare.
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