Лекции по лексикологии английского языка. Гусева Г.В. - 34 стр.

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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 on

the 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.

5. Neutral-emotional meaning: nut – fruit consisting of a hard shell

enclosing a kernel that can be eaten; nut – (slang) head of a human

being.

III. Homonyms. Causes and Sources of Homonymy

Homonyms are words different in meaning but identical in sound or

spelling, or both in sound and spelling.

Homonyms can appear in the language not only as a result of split of

polysemy, but also as a result of levelling of grammar inflexions, when different

parts of speech become identical in their outer aspect: care from caru and care

from carian.

They can also be formed by means of conversion: slim – to slim.

They can be formed with the help of the same suffix from the same stem:

reader – a person who reads and a book for reading.

They can be the result of forming splinters, completives and lexical

abbreviations: bio – a splinter with the meaning biology, biological as in the word

biometrics; bio – a combining form with the meaning life as in the word biology;