Transcript SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS
 Definition of Synonymy
 Criteria of Synonymy
 Types of Synonyms
 Types of Connotations
 Sources of Synonymy
Synonyms
 words of the same language
 belong to the same part of speech
 possess one or more identical or
nearly identical denotational
meanings
 interchangeable, at least in some
contexts
Synonyms
 differ in morphemic shape
 differ in phonemic shape
 differ in shades of meaning,
connotations
 differ in style, idiomatic use
Denotative Connota- style
Idiomatic
meaning
tive
usage
A belief
hope
having
neutral Lose
+desire that
hope, pin
something some event
one’s
would
in mind
hope on
happen
which is
smth
likely to
May be of
Expecta
literary
good or of
happen
-tion
evil
Anticipa
-tion
pleasurable
expectation
of smth good
Criteria of Synonymy
 conceptual criterion
 the criterion of
interchangeability
 semantic criterion
Conceptual Criterion
 convey the same concept
 differ in shades of meaning
 differ in stylistic characteristics
BUT: Washington is the capital
of the USA. (referent is the same,
but there’s no linguistic relationship of
synonymity)
Semantic Criterion
 have the same denotation
 differ in connotations
Semantic Criterion
denotation
To
stare
To
glare
To look
To
gaze
connotations
Steadily,
lastingly
Steadily,
lastingly
In surprise,
curiosity
In anger, rage,
fury
To look
Steadily,
lastingly
In tenderness,
admiration,
wonder
To
To look
glance
Briefly, in
passing
To look
The Criterion of
Interchangeability
 interchangeable at least in
some contexts without any
considerable alteration in
denotational meaning
The Criterion of
Interchangeability
e.g. pretty,
good-looking,
handsome, beautiful girl
e.g. He glared at her (angrily)
He glazed at her (with
admiration or interest)
He glanced at her (briefly)
Classification of Synonyms
(by V.V. Vinogradov)
 absolute – words coinciding in
all their shades of meaning
and in all their stylistic
characteristics
Classification of Synonyms
(by V.V. Vinogradov)
 ideographic (denotational)–
words conveying the same
concept but differing in shades of
meaning
 e.g. to look – to see – to gaze – to
glare
Classification of Synonyms
(by V.V. Vinogradov)
 stylistic – words differing in
stylistic characteristics
 e.g. father – Dad - Daddy
Types of Connotations
 connotation of degree or
intensity
e.g. to like – to admire – to love –
to adore – to worship
 connotation of duration
e.g. to shudder (brief) – to shiver
(lasting)
Types of Connotations
 emotive connotations
e.g. to tremble – to shiver – to shudder
(emotion of fear, horror, disgust) – to
shake
 evaluative connotation – attitude
towards the referent, labeling it as good or
bad
e.g. well-known – famous - notorious
(negative connotation) - celebrated
Types of Connotations
 causative connotation
e.g. to blush from modesty, shame or
embarrassment
to redden from anger or indignation
 connotation of manner
e.g. to stroll – to stride – to trot – to pace to swagger – to stagger – to stumble
Types of Connotations
 connotation of attendant
circumstances
e.g. to peep at smb/smth through a hole, a
crack or opening, from a half-closed door,
a curtain
to peer at smb/smth in darkness,
through the fog, from a great distance,
through dimmed glasses or windows
Types of Connotations
 stylistic connotation
e.g. (girl) girlie (colloquial), lass,
lassie (dialect), bird, birdie,
jane, fluff, skirt (slang), maiden
(poetic), damsel (archaic)
Dominant Synonym
 high frequency of usage
 broad combinability
 broad general meaning
 lack of connotations
e.g. to look – to glare – to gaze
to make – to produce – to create – to
fabricate - to manufacture
Hyponymy
 generic term –name for the notion of
the genus as distinguished from the
name of species – hyponyms
e.g. animal
generic term
-
dog – wolf – mouse
names of the species
included into generic
term
Sources of Synonyms
Native English French words - Greco-Latin
words - neutral literary
words learned
To ask
To question
To interrogate
belly
stomach
abdomen
To gather
To assemble
To collect
To end
To finish
To complete
teaching
guidance
instruction
Synonymic Differentiation
 the word survived with a meaning more or
less removed from the original one and
became an obsolete or archaic word
 obsolete and modern words exist in the
language but the obsolete word has a very
specific meaning
e.g. girl – OE wench
Sources of Synonyms
 synonymic attraction - the referent which
is very popular attracts a large number of
synonyms
e.g.
 variants and dialects of English
e.g. lass (Scottish) - girl (English)
long-distance call (USA) – trunk call
(British)
Sources of Synonyms
 word-building
e.g. lab
laboratory – shortening
cheery - cheerful
affixation
anxiety – anxiousness
 phrasal verbs and set expressions
e.g. to continue – to go on
to smoke – to have a smoke
Sources of Synonyms
 euphemisms – a shift of unpleasant
meaning of a word to a more pleasant or
milder one
e.g. drunk – merry
naked – in one’s birthday suit