Semantics-Lexical Relations Year-2 Sem-1 Rajarata University

Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

Department of Languages

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

Online Lectures

Year and Semester	Year- Semester-1
Subject	Syntax and Semantics-18
Subject Code	ENGL2112
Course Unit	Lexical Relations
Date	07.06.2020
Time	Theory (9.00 am-11.00 am)  Practical (2.30 pm-4.30 pm)
Lecturer	D.N. Aloysius
Theory Hours	02                                            Total  No of  Hours: 18
Practical Hours	02                                            Total  No of  Hours: 18

Lexical Relations

A lexical relation is the relationships between the meanings of words. Here are some important lexical relations:

·         Homophony: When two words have the same pronunciation, but are written differently and mean different things, such as bare and bear.

·         Homonymy: When two words have the same pronunciation and spelling, but mean different things, such as the verb bear and the noun bear.

·         Polysemy: When a single word has multiple meanings. For example, the verb bear can mean tolerate, but also bring (he bore gifts) or have (they bear a certain resemblance).

·         Synonymy: When two words are close in meaning, such as the synonyms insinuate and suggest. Although they are similar, they are not identical.

·         Antonymy: When two words have opposite meanings, such as the unmarked pair of antonyms happy and sad or the marked pair of antonyms unhappy and happy. There are two types of antonyms:

·         Hyponymy: When one word indicates a category of things that is a subset of the category of things indicated by another word. For example, child is a hyponym of human, which is a superordinate of child. Child and adult are called cohyponyms.

o    Prototype: Sometimes, a certain hyponym is more representative of the superordinate than most. For example, when you hear the word 'fish', you probably don't think about weird fish like seahorses or swordfish. You are more likely to think of, say, salmon, which is said to be the prototype of the hyponymy.

·         Metonymy: When a word is used in place of another related word. For example, you can say he found solace in the bottle if you want to express the idea that he drank alcohol to comfort himself. Using bottle instead of alcohol is a metonymy.

Practical:  Explain the Lexical Relations with suitable examples.

References:         

                                                              i.      Lexical Meaning by Lynne Murphy

                                                            ii.      Semantic Relations and the Lexicon: Antonymy, Synonymy and Other              Paradigms by Lynne Murphy