polysemy
/ˈpɒlɪsiːmi
/ /pəˈlɪsɪmi /noun [mass noun] Linguistics
The coexistence of many possible meanings for a word or phrase.For my part, therefore, I am inclined to see features of both monosemy and polysemy in a word's semantic structure....
- In doing this, lexicographers generally take the view that homonymy relates to different words whose forms have converged while polysemy relates to one word whose meanings have diverged or radiated.
- Valéry puts to work the regulated polysemy of the word ‘capital’.
Derivatives
polysemic
- These pairs often display regular polysemic relations, i.e. they constitute systematic sense combinations that are valid for more than one word.
- The rich polysemic nature of Kanak languages, some intricately entwined with Polynesian vocabularies, testify to these congruences of aquatic and terrestrial meaning.
- This obscurity might be the reverse of their fruitfully polysemic character: only dead terms can be univocally defined!
polysemous
/ /pəˈlɪsɪməs/ adjective ...- There should be a way of saying that there is one polysemous lexeme with limitations on how you can use its singular.
- They may, however, be put off by homographs and polysemous words, such as the various uses of bank and crane.
- It might be unclear, in any given case, whether a word should be regarded as polysemous or monosemous.
Origin
Early 20th century: from poly- 'many' + Greek sēma 'sign'.
- vegetable juice
- vegetable kingdom
- vegetable lamb
- vegetable lard
- vegetable leather
- vegetable marrow
- vegetable mercury
- vegetable oil
- vegetable oyster
- vegetable parchment
- vegetable pear
- vegetable sheep
- vegetable shortening
- vegetable silk
- vegetable spaghetti
- vegetable sponge
- vegetable stone
- vegetable sulfur
- vegetable sulphur
- vegetable tallow
- vegetable vellum
- vegetable wax
- vegetable wool
- vegetabley
- vegetablization