Synonym Lexical Relation
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A synonym lexical relation is a relationship between two or more lexical units which have identical core semantic components and which differ only with respect to their supplemental or peripheral components. |
Discovering and understanding the use of words which have the lexical relation synonym is important for the accurate and effective choice of words in communication and translation.
Kinds:
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Synonym type |
Definition |
Example |
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Stylistic (most common) |
A lexical unit that has a similar range of referencebut is differentiated by speaker intention, the audience, and the situation. |
{happy, glad, joyful} |
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Loanword |
A nearly synonymous lexical unit, borrowed from another language to fill what is perceived to be a semantic gap. |
The wordkabunyan means 'sky' in Tuwali Ifugao, but the word langitwhich means 'sky' in Tagalog has been borrowed to refer to 'heaven.' |
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Dialectal |
Different lexical units that are part of the vocabulary of different dialects but have very similar ranges of reference. |
{flashlight (American English), torch (British English)} |
Underlying Structure:
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The underlying structure of a synonym set is a simple set. Frame: Here is a frame for testing and eliciting a synonym lexical relation set:
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This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library. Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003.