Glossary of Linguistic Terms

Synonym Lexical Relation

Definition: 

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.

Introduction: 

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.

Comparison: 

Kinds:

 

Synonym type

Definition

Example

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}

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.'

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)}

Source: 
Additional Information: 

Underlying Structure:

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:

  • X is Y.