Polysemy%20Group%204

Group 3: M. Anis, Ghulam Abbas, M.
Dilshad,
Haider Ali, Usman Haider
Subject: Semantics And Pragmatics
Polysemy
Polysemy is a linguistic term used to describe words or phrases that have
multiple meanings or senses. It is derived from the Greek words "poly" (meaning
many) and "sema" (meaning sign or meaning). Polysemous words can be found
in all languages and are an important aspect of language diversity and richness.
Taylor defines polysemy as “the association of two or more related senses with a
single linguistic form".
The multiple meanings of a polysemous word are not arbitrary, but are instead
related in some way. This relationship may be historical, as when a word retains
different meanings from its original usage, or it may be based on metaphorical
extension or contextual usage. For example, the word "bank" can refer to a
financial institution, the side of a river, or a place to store objects. All of these
meanings are related to the core concept of a repository or place to store
something.
Polysemy can be contrasted with homonymy, which describes words that are
spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings. For example, the
word "bank" can also refer to a bench or a slope of land. Homonyms are not
related in meaning in the same way that polysemous words are.
Polysemy is a common phenomenon in language and is essential for efficient

communication. The ability to understand and use polysemous words requires
knowledge of the different meanings of a word, as well as an understanding of
the context in which it is used. This context may include the specific words and
phrases that surround the polysemous word, the speaker's tone and body
language, and the cultural and historical background of the language in which it
is used.
Types of polysemy
1. Linear polysemy
Linear polysemy refers to the relationship between senses of a word that are
related in a hierarchy or specialization-generalization relationship. This type of
polysemy is further divided into four types:
1. Autohyponymy:
This occurs when a word has a sense describing a general quality of that word,
and another sense which makes reference to a subvariety of that general idea.
For example, the word “dog” may refer to the general sense of “member of a
canine race” or to the more specific sense of “masculine member of a canine
race”, making a gender distinction inside the same species.
2. Automeronymy:
This is similar to autohyponymy, but in this case, the specific sense could be
defined as a subpart rather than a subtype of the general sense. For example,
the word “table” could make reference to the whole piece of furniture or just to
the table-top.
3. Autosuperordination:
This refers to a word that has a more general sense and a specific sense that is
subordinate to it. For example, the word “man” can refer to mankind and the
same word as opposed to woman.
4. Anthroponomy:
This type of polysemy is the least clear one, as it is very difficult to distinguish it
from automeronymy. An example would be the word “arm” with one of its senses
including the hand, as in “he lost an arm in the accident” and the other one not,
as in “a scratch in the arm”.
2. Non-linear polysemy
Includes metaphor and metonymy.
1. Metaphor refers to the use of a word or expression normally used of one

kind of object, action, etc., which is extended to another through
resemblance. For example, “America is a melting pot” is a metaphor that
associates a single culture emerging from many different ones with the
physical image of a melting pot.
2. Metonymy refers to a figure of speech in which a word or expression
normally or strictly used of one thing is used of something physically or
otherwise associated with it. For example, using the name of a capital city
to refer to the whole country, as in “London and Madrid don’t agree with
the decision taken in the assembly” instead of “England and Spain”.
Examples of Polysemy:
Polysemy refers to the phenomenon where a single word has multiple meanings.
Here are some examples of words that exhibit polysemy:
Bank: This word can refer to a financial institution or the land on the side of a
river.
Bat: This word can refer to a flying mammal or a piece of equipment used in
baseball.
Bark: This word can refer to the protective outer layer of a tree trunk, or the
sound made by a dog.
Crane: This word can refer to a large bird with a long neck or a piece of
equipment used for lifting heavy objects.
Fan: This word can refer to a device used to create a current of air or a person
who is enthusiastic about a particular sport or team.
Nail: This word can refer to a small metal object used to attach things or the
hard, protective covering on the end of a finger or toe.
Rock: This word can refer to a type of music or a large, solid mass of mineral
material.
Seal: This word can refer to a type of marine mammal or a device used to make
an impression on a piece of paper.
Tank: This word can refer to a large container for holding liquid or a type of
military vehicle.
Watch: This word can refer to a timepiece worn on the wrist or to the act of
observing someone or something closely.
Interesting facts related to Polysemy

Polysemy, or polysemy, is a linguistic phenomenon in which a single word has
multiple meanings. Here are some interesting facts related to polysemy:
Historical development: Many words in modern languages have multiple

meanings because they evolved over time from earlier forms that had different
but related meanings. For example, the English word "spring" can refer to a
season, a coiled metal device, or a source of water, all of which stem from its Old
English roots.
Context dependence: The meaning of a polysemous word can often depend on

the context in which it is used. For example, the word "bank" can refer to a
financial institution or the edge of a river, depending on the context.
Semantic overlap: Polysemous meanings often share some semantic features

or concepts, which can help speakers understand the different meanings of a
word. For example, the different meanings of the word "light" (e.gweightless,
bright, easy to lift) all share the basic concept of "not heavy."
Cultural influences: Different cultures may assign different meanings to the

same word, leading to polysemy. For example, the word "tea" can refer to the
drink made from steeping tea leaves in hot water, but in some parts of the UK, it
can also refer to a meal served in the late afternoon.
Contextual ambiguity: In some cases, polysemy can lead to ambiguity or

confusion. For example, the sentence "I saw her duck" could mean either "I
observed her lowering her head to avoid something" or "I observed a duck that
belongs to her."
Productivity: Polysemy is a productive phenomenon in language, meaning that

new meanings can be added to existing words over time. For example, the verb
"google" was originally a brand name for a search engine but has now become a
verb meaning "to search for something on the internet."
So, polysemy is that aspect of language that reflects the dynamic and complex
nature of human communication.
Implications of Polysemy
In an article, "The Implications of Polysemy for Theories of Word Learning" by
Mahesh Srinivasan, it is suggested that In languages, many words are
polysemous because they carry multiple related meanings. Recent theories
suggest that children should learn polysemous words. Polysemy facilitates
children in the word learning process by allowing them to use knowledge of
familiar word meanings to learn other related or distinct meanings.
Conclusion
Polysemy is a phenomenon where a single word has several related senses and
meanings which sometimes cause ambiguity in effective communication. It is a
naturally occurring phenomenon in all languages. It can be contrasted with
homonymy where two words of the same form have different meanings. The
words which have multiple related meanings and senses are called polysemous.
Native speakers of a language have clear intuitions that different meanings and
senses are related to each other in the same way. So study of polysemy is an
important aspect in linguistics that helps to understand how meanings are
created in natural language and how different meanings of the same word are
related to each other.

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Group 3: M. Anis, Ghulam Abbas, M.

Polysemy is a common phenomenon in language and is essential for efficient

Includes metaphor and metonymy.

1. Metaphor refers to the use of a word or expression normally used of one

Interesting facts related to Polysemy

Historical development: Many words in modern languages have multiple

Context dependence: The meaning of a polysemous word can often depend on

Semantic overlap: Polysemous meanings often share some semantic features

Cultural influences: Different cultures may assign different meanings to the

Contextual ambiguity: In some cases, polysemy can lead to ambiguity or

Productivity: Polysemy is a productive phenomenon in language, meaning that

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