⊿ Point. {R} Glossary. ◢ Keyword: P. ◥ University. {q} PhD. {tr} Training. ⚫ UK. ↂ EndNote. ☝️ Weerakkody. Polysemy. 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.[3] Polysemy is a pivotal concept within disciplines such as media studies and linguistics. Polysemes[edit] A polyseme is a word or phrase with different, but related senses.
Since the test for polysemy is the vague concept of relatedness, judgments of polysemy can be difficult to make. In vertical polysemy a word refers to a member of a subcategory (e.g., 'dog' for 'male dog').[4] A closely related idea is metonym, in which a word with one original meaning is used to refer to something else connected to it. Examples[edit] Man The human species (i.e., man vs. animal)Males of the human species (i.e., man vs. woman)Adult males of the human species (i.e., man vs. boy) Mole Bank Book Newspaper The newspaper fired its editor.