LoginLexical Relations
In our everyday life, we can easily notice that words have different relationships with each other. In this lesson, we're going to learn them one by one.
What Are Lexical Relations?
Lexical relations are the ways in which words are related to each other in a language. Lexical relations are used to analyze the meanings of words based on their relationships with one another. In fact, they are one of the ways of understanding the meaning of words.
Lexical Relations: Types
Here are the most common types of lexical relationships between words:
- Synonymy
- Antonymy
- Hyponymy
- Prototypes
- Homophones and Homonyms
- Polysemy
- Metonymy
Synonymy
'Synonymy' is the relation between two or more words that have a very close meaning. Words with the same meaning often can be substituted for each other in sentences. However, there are some cases in which a synonym of a word would be odd and cannot be used in a sentence. Note that synonymy does not mean total sameness; To replace a word with its synonym, you must consider many factors, including context and the relationships between words. Synonymy can be found in all parts of speech including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc. Here are some examples:
The party was
As you can see, 'terrible' and 'awful' are synonyms of 'bad'. They are used to express the same meaning.
She has a
As you can see, 'large' and 'big' are synonyms. The meaning of both sentences is the same.
It was a
an example of metonymy
Tip!
There may also be differences in formal versus informal uses of synonyms. Take a look at the example below:
I bought a big car = I purchased a large automobile
As you can see, the first sentence is more casual than the second one.
Synonymy: Types
There are two types of synonymy:
- Absolute Synonyms: Absolute synonyms have the same meaning and function. In all contexts, you can replace two absolutely synonymous words with their synonyms. Notice that it happens rarely.
- Partial Synonyms: Partial synonyms occur when words have very closely related meanings. While the meanings are not the same, they are similar enough to convey the same message.
Antonymy
Antonymy is the relation between words with opposite meanings. Antonyms are usually in pairs and can be found across all parts of speech. Here are some examples:
Adjective: hot ≠ cold
Noun: freedom ≠ slavery
Verb: like ≠ dislike
Adverb: never ≠ always
Preposition: on ≠ off
Antonymy: Types
There are three types of antonymy based on the relationship between the opposing words:
- Gradable antonyms
- Complementary antonyms
- Reverse antonyms
Gradable antonyms
Gradable antonyms are pairs of words that have opposite meanings and are relative to each other on a scale or spectrum. This means that the intensity of one word's meaning can be increased or decreased in relation to the other word. Comparative constructions are also categorized under this type. For example:
High ≠ Low (gradation:
Young ≠ Old (gradation:
Hot ≠ Cold (gradation:
Warning
Notice that when a word becomes negative, it does not point to the opposite or antonym. For example:
'These shoes are not old' → It does
Complementary antonyms (non-gradable antonyms)
Complementary antonymy is the relation between two words whose meanings are opposite but not on a scale. Each of these words is the absolute opposite of the other and they can be used independently. For example:
Dead ≠ Alive
Here, we do not say 'deader' or 'more dead', so comparative construction is not normally used.
Yes ≠ No
Single ≠ Married
Reverse antonyms
Reverse antonyms are two words that have a reverse relationship and they are dependent pairs. Take a look at the examples below:
Night ≠ Day
Push ≠ Pull
Pack ≠ Unpack
Hyponymy
Hyponymy happens when the meaning of one form is included in the meaning of another in some type of hierarchical relationship. It can be found in verbs, adjectives, and nouns. There are three major terms used in hyponymy: 'hypernym' which refers to a general term, 'hyponym' which refers to a more specific term, and 'co-hyponyms' which refer to the hyponyms of the same level. Take a look at the examples below:
Green, white and blue are the hyponyms of '
Here, 'color' is the hypernym of green, white and blue. Green, white and blue are co-hyponyms of each other.
Cat, dog, and horse are the hyponyms of '
Tip!
The relationship between hyponyms can be expressed by the phrase '
'Dog is a kind of animal'. → dog is a hyponymy of animal.
Prototype
A member or a set of members of a group that best represents the group as a whole is called a 'prototype'. An example of a group that is easily recognized by people is a prototype. Here are some examples:
As you can see, people recognize 'chair' as a better example than bench or stool.
Here, 'dove', 'pelican' and 'robin' are all hyponyms of 'bird', but not all of them are good and recognizable examples of 'bird'. 'Robin' is the most well known member of 'bird'.
Homophones and Homonyms
When words with different spelling and meanings have the same pronunciation, they are defined as homophones. When words with the same spelling and pronunciation have different meanings, they are described as homonyms. Here are some examples:
As you can see, the two types of 'race' are not related in meaning. They just have the same form.
Tip!
Homographs are words that have different meanings and pronunciations but are spelled the same. For examples:
Desert (
Here, 'desert' as a noun means 'an isolated area' and 'desert' as a verb means 'to leave someone in a difficult condition'.
Polysemy
Polysemy happens when a word has more than one meaning and all its meanings are listed under one entry in a dictionary. Here are some examples of polysemous words:
As you can see, it has different meanings but they are related by sense.
Difference Between Polysemy and Homonymy
Polysemy refers to one word with multiple meanings but homonymy refers to words with the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings. Notice that homonyms are words from different word classes but in polysemy, words must stem from the same word class. In polysemy, we have multiple meanings for a word but all those meanings are related to each other. For example:
Date as a
Here, date as a noun means 'a fruit', 'a point in time' or 'a social or romantic meeting'. Date as a verb means 'to have a romantic meeting' and 'to write a particular day'.
Metonymy
Metonymy is a relation between words in which a word or phrase is used to represent something else that is related to it, often through contiguity or association. In metonymy, the word or phrase being used is not meant to be taken literally, but rather as a symbol or representation of something else. Take a look at the examples:
I swear to the
Here, 'crown' is a representative symbol of the monarch.
I drank the whole
Here, there is a close connection between them.
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