polysemi

POLYSEMI

What is polysemi ?

Polysemy is the capacity for a sign (such as a word, phrase, or symbol) to have multiple meanings (that is, multiple semes or sememes and thus multiple senses), usually related by contiguity of meaning within a semantic field.

It is thus usually regarded as distinct from homonymy, in which the multiple meanings of a word may be unconnected or unrelated.

Charles Fillmore and Beryl Atkins’ definition stipulates three elements:

(i)                 the various senses of a polysemous word have a central origin

(ii)               the links between these senses form a network, and

(iii)              understanding the ‘inner’ one contributes to understanding of the ‘outer’ one.

Polysemy is a pivotal concept within disciplines such as media studies and linguistics. The analysis of polysemy, synonymy, and hyponymy and hypernymy is vital to taxonomy and ontology in the information-science senses of those terms. It has applications in pedagogy and machine learning, because they rely on word-sense disambiguation and schemas.

polysemy, language scientific term for ambiguity, see adjective green in the green gate, green thumb, green student, green policy, where the word's meaning varies, often due. metaphorical extensions.

Examples and Observations

• The Word Advances
  "The simplest form of this verb is when it signifies movement forward: 'The advance of the army was rapid.' The word can also mean the state of being in a forward position: 'We were in advance of the rest of the army.' More figuratively, the word can be used to signify promotion in rank or position or salary: 'His advance to stardom was remarkable.' It is also possible to advance an argument in the sense of putting forward reasons for supporting a particular view or course of action: 'I would like to advance the argument that being in debt is a desirable state while interest rates are so low.'"
  (David Rothwell, Dictionary of Homonyms. Wordsworth, 2007)
   
• Polysemy in Advertising
  "Common polysemic puns involve words like bright, naturally, clearly, where the advertiser will want both meanings. This headline ran above a picture of a sheep:

Take it from the manufacturer.
Wool. It's worth more. Naturally.
(American Wool Council, 1980)

Here the pun is a way of attributing wool, not to a manufacturing industry, but to nature."
(Greg Myers, Words in Ads. Routledge, 1994)