SEMANTICS:

SEMANTIC RELATIONS
and AMBIGUITIES
ENG204: STRUCTURE OF ENGLISH
Today’s Agenda:
SEMANTIC RELATIONS
01 ❑ Synonym ❑ Homograph ❑ Polysemy
❑ Antonym ❑ Homophone ❑ Metonymy
❑ Hyponym ❑ Homonym ❑ Collocations

AMBIGUITIES
02 ❑ Lexical ambiguity
❑ Structural ambiguity
What is the
meaning of
“conceal?”
What do you
mean by
“shallow?”
 Ma’am/Sir, what
is the meaning of
“gumamela?”
SEMANTIC RELATIONS
❑The meaning of words can be
explained through their relationships.
❑Goal: define meaning through
relationships, not features.
 SYNONYM
❑Words with similar meanings.
❑May be interchangeable in context with
differences in usage/formality.
EXAMPLES:
❑ buy/purchase, big/large, cab/taxi
❑ My father purchased a large automobile vs.
My dad bought a big car.
 ANTONYM
❑ Words with opposite meanings.
❑ Types:
➢ Gradable (eg. hot/cold, big/small)
➢ Non-gradable (complementary) (eg. dead/alive,
married/single)
➢ Reversives (eg. tie/untie, enter/exit)
 HYPONYM
❑ One word’s meaning included in another or the
“is-a-kind-of” relationship.
❑ Terms: Hyponym (more specific)
Superordinate (more general)
Co-hyponyms (same level)
EXAMPLES:
❑ Aspin → Dog → Animal (Aspin is a hyponym)
❑ Punch, stab, shoot → Injure
HYPONYM
 SYNONYM ANTONYM HYPONYM

Utopia and Dystopia

ANTONYM (Utopia - ideal, perfect society; Dystopia - society
characterized by oppression, suffering)

Haiku and Poem

HYPONYM (Haiku is a specific form of poem)
 SYNONYM ANTONYM HYPONYM

Alleviate and Mitigate

SYNONYM (both mean to reduce something negative,
like pain or risk.)

Benevolent and Malevolent

ANTONYM (Benevolent - one who wishes to do good;
Malevolent - one who wishes harm.)
 SYNONYM ANTONYM HYPONYM

Allusion and Reference

SYNONYM (allusion is a subtle, indirect reference,
often to another text, myth, or historical event.)

Fraud and Crime

HYPONYM (Fraud falls under the umbrella of criminal
activities)
 HOMOGRAPH
❑ –graph means drawn or written.
❑ same spelling but different sound and meaning.
❑ EXAMPLES:
➢ lead (to go in front of) / lead (a metal)
➢ wind (to follow a course that is not straight) /
wind (a gust of air)
➢ bass (low, deep sound) / bass (a type of fish)
 HOMOPHONE
❑ –phone means sound or voice.
❑ same sound but different spelling and meaning
❑ EXAMPLES:
➢ brake (to stop) / break (to damage)
➢ by (preposition) / buy (purchase) / bye (farewell)
➢ week (time period) / weak (not strong)
 HOMONYM
❑ same spelling and sound but different meanings
❑ EXAMPLES:
➢ bank (of a river) / (financial institution)
➢ bat (flying creature) / (used in sports)
➢ mole (on skin) / (small animal)
➢ pupil (at school) / (in the eye)
 POLYSEMY
❑ One word with multiple related meanings.
❑ Dictionary test: one entry, several senses.

EXAMPLES:
❑ Head (body part, top of organization, froth on beer)
❑ Run (a person moving quickly, a machine operating
or functioning, color that is fading/spreading)
 What is the meaning of LIGHT in the sentences?
1. She couldn’t read in the light of the dim lamp.
Meaning: gleam or brightness
2. This suitcase is so light that I can carry it with one
hand.
Meaning : Not heavy
3. He is a light sleeper and wakes up at the slightest
noise.
Meaning: Easily disturbed or affected by noise
 What is the meaning of MATCH in the sentences?

1. They are a perfect match in terms of skills and

talents.
something that is equal or similar to another in qualities
2. She struck the match and lit the candle.
A small stick used to start a fire.
3. He couldn’t find a match for his tennis opponent.
A competition or contest between two people or teams
 METONYMY
❑ a word is substituted for another word that
it is closely associated with.

EXAMPLE:
I’ll have the vegetarian dish for dinner tonight.
Dish as a substitute for a whole plate of food.
 METONYMY
❑ a word is substituted for another word that
it is closely associated with.

EXAMPLE:
She gave me a hand in organizing the event.
Hand as a substitute for assistance.
 METONYMY
❑ a word is substituted for another word that
it is closely associated with.

EXAMPLE:
In some cultures, people use more than one tongue
to communicate with different communities.
Tongue as a substitute for language.
 COLLOCATIONS
❑ are “predictable combination of words” that
become familiar and use correctly

EXAMPLES:
❑ heavy rain but not strong rain.
❑ fast food but not quick food.
❑ Pay attention but not compensate attention.
Today’s Agenda:
SEMANTICS RELATIONS
01 ❑ Synonym ❑ Homograph ❑ Polysemy
❑ Antonym ❑ Homophone ❑ Metonymy
❑ Hyponym ❑ Homonym ❑ Collocations

AMBIGUITIES
02 ❑ Lexical ambiguity
❑ Structural ambiguity
 AMBIGUITIES
❑It doesn’t just mean that a sentence’s
meaning is vague or unclear.
❑It means that there are two or more
distinct meanings available leading to
uncertainty or multiple interpretations.
 LEXICAL AMBIGUITY
❑ It happens when a word has more than one meaning,
causing a word or phrase to be interpreted
differently from how the speaker or writer intended.
EXAMPLES:
❑ It was cool.
❑ It is on the house.
❑ The club is dead.
 STRUCTURAL AMBIGUITY
❑ It is based on the way how words are organized in a
sentence that can cause the sentence to have
multiple meanings.
EXAMPLES:
❑ Old men and women were seated.
❑ Flying planes can be dangerous.
❑ The girl hit the man with the umbrella.
 AMBIGUITIES
❑Lexical and Structural ambiguities are often
compared or contrasted to help explain how
language can be confusing in different ways.
❑Lexical ambiguity - One word, many meanings.
❑Structural ambiguity - One sentence, multiple
possible structures or meanings.
Today’s Agenda:
SEMANTIC RELATIONS
01 ❑ Synonym ❑ Homograph ❑ Polysemy
❑ Antonym ❑ Homophone ❑ Metonymy
❑ Hyponym ❑ Homonym ❑ Collocations

AMBIGUITIES
02 ❑ Lexical ambiguity
❑ Structural ambiguity
 SEMANTICS:
SEMANTIC RELATIONS and AMBIGUITIES
REFERENCES:
❑ Anderson, C. (2018, March 15). 9.1 ambiguity. Pressbooks.
https://pressbooks.pub/essentialsoflinguistics/chapter/9-2-ambiguity/
❑ Microsoft. (2023, October 6). What is lexical ambiguity (and how can you
avoid it)? Microsoft 365. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-
life-hacks/writing/what-is-lexical-ambiguity-and-how-to-avoid-it
❑ Yule, G. (2022). The study of language. Cambridge University Press.