We explain what polysemy is in language, how it arises and various examples. Also, what are monosemia and homonymy.
What is polysemy?
In linguistics, polysemy is the property that certain words have of referring to different possible meanings at the same time, that is, of having different meanings, linked in some direct or indirect way with their original meaning. The term comes from the Greek cop, "Many", and week, "meaning".
Polysemy is a common trait in most languages, and is linked at the same time with the economic use of language (in the sense that a single term can refer to different things depending on the context) and the creativity of its speakers (who over time add layers of possible meaning to the same term). This last process can occur in different ways, such as:
- Adapting to new referents, given that new objects arise to name constantly, it is common for words to acquire new nuances to name them or to name their components.
- The specialization of the context, in cases in which a linguistic code is highly technical or hyperspecialized, or in cases in which a speaks Community has its own personality, it is common to use terms with new meanings handled only by the specialized community.
- The Figurative language, particularly the one linked to taboo subjects, with publicly censored topics or with criminal jargon, very powerful sources of creativity that require “disguising” one term with another, inventing new meanings to the words.
- Foreign influence, while uses and meanings of other languages are copied to meet the needs of their own.
Polysemy is the opposite of synonymy, and polysemic words usually have a single and the same entry (although with many numbered meanings) in the dictionary of the language.
Examples of polysemic words
Some examples of polysemic words in Spanish are the following:
Bank:
- Financial and money lending institution.
- Public furniture to sit on, especially in squares.
- In biology, a group of marine animals (school of fish).
Cape:
- Military rank of non-commissioned officers.
- Segment of land that penetrates the sea (tip).
- In nautical jargon, a rope to tie the boat.
Crest:
- Top of the head of some animals, such as the rooster.
- Top of the ripples.
- Summit, top of a mountain.
Silver:
- Precious mineral and chemical element (argentum).
- Money.
- Silver colour.
Flannel:
- Cotton or wool cloth, often for cleaning.
- Garment (in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic).
- Cane with which the bullfighter deceives the bull (in bullfighting).
Plant:
- Plant life form with stem and leaves. Bottom of the foot.
- Each floor of a building.
- Industrial facility for obtaining energy (power plant).
Monosemia and homonymy
Monosemia is the property of words that have a single meaning and sense. That is, it is the opposite of polysemy.It usually occurs in the context of scientific or specialized terminology, where there is no possible margin of ambiguity for what is meant: a gamete always refers to the reproductive cells of the body.
On the other hand, homonymy refers to words of different meaning and of different etymology, but that share a form, whether it is sound, written or both. Thus, homonyms can be homographs if they are written the same and homophones if they sound the same, as in the following cases:
- Mira (from the verb look) and Mira (to point a weapon) are homograph homonyms, since they are written the same despite being entirely different things.
- It had (from the verb to have) and Tubo (from plumbing) are homonymous homophones, since the difference between v and b does not exist in most variants of Spanish.
History polysemy
Finally, when we talk about the "polysemy of history", we are making a figurative use of the term polysemy, to indicate that history can have very different meanings, meanings or interpretations at the same time, depending on the lens through which it is viewed. .