WORD: SENSE RELATIONS
In our study of semantic theories, we noted that viable theories of meaning should be able to explain the
nature of the meaning of words as well as that of sentences. You have learnt that the meaning of a word
may not always be realised from its referential or denotational characteristics. Indeed, there are many
words whose basic characteristics may not be easily analysed. Such words are best studied by focusing
on the kind of relationship they create with other words. These relationships are based on the sense of
the words. Therefore, we study words from their sense relations or lexical relations. At this level, we
shall study sense relations along the following lines:
Synonymy
Antonymy
Hyponymy
Polysemy
Homophony
Synonymy
When reference is made to lexical relation or close relatedness in the meaning of words, we deal with
synonymy. We can therefore, describe pairs of words that have very close similarities in meaning as
synonyms.
For example, we can have the following pairs of words as synonyms.
Friend/ally: boss/master; amiable/friendly
It has often been observed that words may not always have exact substitutes in all contexts. This
observation means that we may have absolute, complete and total synonyms when there are exact
substitutes as in:
Everybody/Everyone
Bandit/Brigand
There are also broad or near synonyms as in:
rich / sumptuous
mature / ripe
Antonymy
The relationship of oppositeness is referred to as antonymy. You will observe that in public and
professional examinations in which knowledge of English is tested, there are sections on words and
opposites. Antonymy occurs in two forms – gradable and non-gradable antonyms.
For adjectives and adverbs, gradable antonyms show degrees and can be compared with suffixes –er,
and –est as well as with the words, more and most – as in:
Tall Taller Tallest
intelligent more intelligent most intelligent
dangerously more dangerously most dangerously
On the other hand, non-gradable antonyms do not occur as comparative constructions. Words in this
category are expressed as complementary pairs – such that their exact opposites are the only options.
For example, someone can be male or female, father or mother, dead or alive, married or single. Other
examples of non-gradable antonyms are – close or open, found or lost. There are also relational
opposites, which convey the meaning of reciprocal, bilateral or social relationships. Such meanings are
interdependent such that membership of one of the pairs suggests the other. The following are common
examples.
Teacher – student
Parent – child
Brother – sister
Buy – sell
Servant – master
Wife – husband
Employer - employee
Hyponymy
When the meaning of one form is included in the meaning of another, we have hyponymy. For instance,
included in animals are dogs, elephants, goat, and so on. We can also relate hyponymy to professions to
include law, medicine, teaching, banking, and so on. There is always a hierarchical relationship drawing
from the general to samples.
Homonymy
Homonymy explains a situation of identical spelling or pronunciation but with different unrelated
meanings. Such words usually create problems of ambiguity. Consider the following examples.
Bank (of a river)
Bank (financial institution)
Fly (an insect)
Fly (to move in the air)
Lead (verb to guide)
Lead (an element used in making pencil)
When homonymy is partial, we have heteronymy. It is possible to have a situation of homonymy at one
medium of language – such as in writing – but pronounced differently as in
Lead - /li:d/ and
Lead - /led/.
This situation is referred to as homography. With this distinction, it has become more common to
reserve the term “homophony” – when reference is made to identical pronunciation as in:
Key and quay /ki:/
Been and bean /bi:n/
Court and caught /k :t/
Polysemy
A situation of polysemy arises when one form of a word has multiple meanings, which are related by
extension. Words that are polysemous have single entries in the dictionary. However, there are numbers
that suggest the list of possible meanings – as shown below.
Foot 1 - of a person
2 – of a bed
3 – of a mountain
It should be noted that homonyms are listed as different lexical items in the dictionary.
