Editing Homonym

{{For|homonyms in scientific nomenclature|Homonym (biology)}}
{{Short description|Words spelled or pronounced the same with different meanings}}

In [[linguistics]], '''homonyms''' are words which are either; ''[[homograph]]s''—words that mean different things, but have the same spelling (regardless of pronunciation), or ''[[homophone]]s''—words that mean different things, but have the same pronunciation (regardless of spelling).<ref name="RHUD"/> Using this definition, the words ''row'' (propel with oars), ''row'' (a linear arrangement) and ''row'' (an argument) are homonyms because they are homographs (though only the first two are homophones); so are the words ''see'' (vision) and ''sea'' (body of water), because they are homophones (though not homographs).

A more restrictive and technical definition requires that homonyms be simultaneously homographs ''and'' homophones<ref name="RHUD">[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/homonym homonym], ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' at dictionary.com</ref>—that is, they have identical spelling ''and'' pronunciation but different meanings. Examples include the pair ''stalk'' (part of a plant) and ''stalk'' (follow/harass a person) and the pair ''left'' ([[past tense]] of ''leave'') and ''left'' (opposite of ''right'').  

A distinction is sometimes made between true homonyms, which are unrelated in origin, such as ''skate'' (glide on ice) and ''skate'' (the fish), and [[Polysemy|polysemous]] homonyms, or polysemes, which have a shared origin, such as ''mouth'' (of a river) and ''mouth'' (of an animal).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/vajda/ling201/test3materials/semanticsHANDOUT.htm |title=Linguistics 201: Study Sheet for Semantics |publisher=Pandora.cii.wwu.edu |access-date=2013-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130617090717/http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/vajda/ling201/test3materials/semanticsHANDOUT.htm |archive-date=2013-06-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=AefSOW9MW5UC&pg=PA123 Semantics: a coursebook, p. 123], James R. Hurford and Brendan Heasley, Cambridge University Press, 1983</ref>

The relationship between a set of homonyms is called '''homonymy''', and the associated adjective is '''homonymous''', '''homonymic''', or in Latin, '''equivocal'''.<!--[[wikt:homonymy]],[[wikt:homonymity]],[[wikt:homonymous]],[[wikt:homonymic]]--> Additionally, the adjective ''homonymous'' can be used wherever two items share the same name,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/homonymous|title=the definition of homonymous|website=Dictionary.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wordnik.com/words/homonymous|title=homonymous — definition, examples, related words and more at Wordnik|website=Wordnik.com}}</ref> independent of how closely they are related in terms of their meaning or etymology. For example, the word "once" (meaning "one time") is homonymous with the term for "eleven" in Spanish (''once'').

==Etymology==
The word ''homonym'' comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ὁμώνυμος (''homonymos''), meaning "having the same name,"<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Do%28mw%2Fnumos ὁμώνυμος], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus Digital Library</ref> compounded from ὁμός (''homos'') "common, same, similar"<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Do%28mo%2Fs ὁμός], King George V Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicons'', on Perseus Digital Library</ref> and ὄνομα (''onoma'') "name."<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Do%29%2Fnoma ὄνομα], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus Digital Library</ref>

==Related terms==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="float:right; margin-left:2em;"
|-
! Term
! Meaning
! Spelling
! Pronunciation
|-
| ''Homonym''
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
| style="background: #cfc;" | Same
| style="background: #cfc;" | Same
|-
| ''Homograph''
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
| style="background: #cfc;" | Same
| (No requirement)
|-
| ''Homophone word''
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
| (No requirement)
| style="background: #cfc;" | Same
|-
| ''Homophone phrase''
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
| style="background: #cfc;" | Same to varying degree
|-
| ''[[Heteronym (linguistics)|Heteronym]]''
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
| style="background: #cfc;" | Same
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
|-
| ''[[Heterograph]]''
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
| style="background: #cfc;" | Same
|-
| ''Polyseme''
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different but related
| style="background: #cfc;" | Same
| (No requirement)
|-
| ''[[Capitonym]]''
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different when<br>capitalized
| style="background: #cfc;" | Same except for<br>capitalization
| (No requirement)
|-
| ''[[Synonym]]''
| style="background: #cfc;" | Same 
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
|-
| ''[[Antonym]]''
| style="background: #ccf;" | Opposite 
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
|-
| ''[[Contronym]]''
| style="background: #ccf;" | Opposite 
| style="background: #cfc;" | Same
| (No requirement)
|-
| ''Synophone''
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
| style="background: #fcc;" | Different
| style="background: #ffc;" | Similar<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://academic.oup.com/eltj/article-pdf/XXXV/3/294/9802147/294.pdf|title=A Problem in Vocabulary Learning—Synophones|last=Laufer|first=Batia|page=295|quote=I suggest that words similar in sound but different in meaning should be referred to as synophones (cf. synonym = word of similar meaning).}}</ref>
|}

[[File:Homograph homophone venn diagram.svg|thumb|300px|[[Euler diagram]] showing the relationships between homonyms (between blue and green) and related linguistic concepts.]]

Several similar linguistic concepts are related to homonymy. These include:

* '''Homographs''' (literally "same writing") are usually defined as words that share the same spelling, regardless of how they are pronounced.<ref group="note">Some sources restrict the term "homograph" to words that have the same spelling but ''different'' pronunciations. See, for example, [https://books.google.com/books?id=y3KdxBqjg5cC&pg=PA215 ''The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Writing Systems'', p. 215] (Wiley-Blackwell, 1999) and ''The Encyclopædia Britannica (14th Edition)'' (entry for "homograph").</ref> If they are pronounced the same then they are also homophones (and homonyms) – for example, ''bark'' (the sound of a dog) and ''bark'' (the skin of a tree). If they are pronounced differently then they are also [[Heteronym (linguistics)|heteronyms]] – for example, ''bow'' (the front of a ship) and ''bow'' (a ranged weapon).
* '''Homophones''' (literally "same sound") are usually defined as words that share the same pronunciation, regardless of how they are spelled.<ref group="note">Some sources restrict the term "homophone" to words that have the same pronunciation but ''different'' spellings. See, for example, [https://books.google.com/books?id=y3KdxBqjg5cC&pg=PA202 ''The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Writing Systems'', p. 202] (Wiley-Blackwell, 1999) and ''The Encyclopædia Britannica (14th Edition)'' (entry for "homograph").</ref> If they are spelled the same then they are also homographs (and homonyms); if they are spelled differently then they are also '''heterographs''' (literally "different writing"). Homographic examples include ''rose'' (flower) and ''rose'' (past tense of ''rise''). Heterographic examples include ''to'', ''too'', ''two'', and ''there'', ''their'', ''they’re''. Due to their similar yet non-identical pronunciation in American English, ''ladder'' and ''latter'' do not qualify as homophones, but rather '''synophones'''<ref>Gnanasundaram, D.; Venkatesh, L. (2006). ''Synophones & Homophones.'' Sura Books. {{ISBN|9788172543167}}.</ref> or '''homoiophones'''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/homoiophone | title=Homoiophone | date=27 April 2023 }}</ref><ref>Johan Harold Josua Lindahl (1893). ''Description of a Skull of Megalonyx Leidyi'', page 56 (American Philosophical Society)</ref>
* '''Heteronyms''' (literally "different name") are the subset of homographs (words that share the same spelling) that have different pronunciations (and meanings).<ref group="note">Some sources do not require that heteronyms have different pronunciations. See, for example, the archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20090608155000/http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861617704 ''Encarta'' dictionary entry] (which states that heteronyms "often" differ in pronunciation) and the [http://www.fun-with-words.com/nym_words.html "Fun with Words" website] (which states that heteronyms "sometimes" have different pronunciations).</ref> Such words include ''desert'' (to abandon) and ''desert'' (arid region); ''tear'' (to rip) and ''tear'' (a drop of moisture formed in one eye); ''row'' (to argue or an argument) and ''row'' (as in to row a boat or a row of seats – a pair of homophones). Heteronyms are also sometimes called '''heterophones''' (literally "different sound").
*'''Polysemes''' are words with the same spelling and distinct but ''related'' meanings. The distinction between polysemy and homonymy is often subtle and subjective, and not all sources consider polysemous words to be homonyms. Words such as ''mouth'', meaning either the orifice on one's face, or the opening of a [[cave]] or [[river]], are polysemous and may or may not be considered homonyms.
*'''Capitonyms''' are words that share the same spelling but have different meanings when capitalized (and may or may not have different pronunciations). Such words include ''polish'' (make shiny) and ''[[Polish language|Polish]]'' (from Poland); ''march'' (walk in step) and ''[[March]]'' (the third [[month]] of the [[Year]]) and the pair: ''[[reading]]'' (using a book) and [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] (towns in, among other places, [[England]]).

==Further examples==
{{see also|1=wikt:homonym#examples|label 1=''homonym § examples'' at Wiktionary}}
A homonym which is both a homophone and a homograph is '''fluke''', meaning:
*A fish, and a [[flatworm]].
*The end parts of an [[anchor]].
*The fins on a [[whale]]'s tail.
*A stroke of [[luck]].
These meanings represent at least three [[etymology|etymologically]] separate [[lexeme]]s, but share the one form, '''fluke'''.<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=fluke&searchmode=none
| title=The Online Etymological Dictionary
| access-date=2008-01-14
}}</ref> Fluke is also a capitonym, in that [[Fluke Corporation]] (commonly referred to as simply "Fluke") is a manufacturer of industrial testing equipment.

Similarly, a river '''bank''', a savings '''bank''', a '''bank''' of switches, and a '''bank''' shot in the game of pool share a common spelling and pronunciation, but differ in meaning.

The words '''bow''' and '''bough''' are examples where there are two meanings associated with a single pronunciation and spelling (the weapon and the knot); two meanings with two different pronunciations (the knot and the act of bending at the waist), and two distinct meanings sharing the same sound but different spellings ('''bow''', the act of bending at the waist, and '''bough''', the branch of a tree). In addition, it has several related but distinct meanings&nbsp;– a bent line is sometimes called a '<nowiki/>'''bowed'''<nowiki/>' line, reflecting its similarity to the weapon. Even according to the most restrictive definitions, various pairs of sounds and meanings of '''bow''', '''Bow''' and '''bough''' are [[homonyms]], [[homographs]], [[homophones]], [[heteronym (linguistics)|heteronym]]s, [[heterographs]], [[capitonyms]] and are [[polysemous]].

*'''bow'''&nbsp;– a long stick with horse hair that is used to play certain [[string instrument]]s such as the [[violin]]
*'''bow'''&nbsp;– to bend forward at the waist in respect (e.g. "bow down")
*'''bow'''&nbsp;– the front of the ship (e.g. "bow and stern")
*'''bow'''&nbsp;– a kind of tied ribbon (e.g. bow on a present, a bowtie)
*'''bow'''&nbsp;– to bend outward at the sides (e.g. a "bow-legged" cowboy)
*'''[[Bow, London|Bow]]'''&nbsp;– a district in [[London]]
*'''bow'''&nbsp;– a weapon to shoot projectiles with (e.g. a bow and arrow)

A '''lime''' can refer to a [[Lime (fruit)|fruit]] or a [[Lime (material)|material]]. A '''mold''' ('''mould''') can refer to a [[Mold|fungus]] or an [[Molding_(process)|industrial cast]].

The words ''there'', ''their'', and ''they're'' are examples of three words that are of a singular pronunciation, have different spellings and vastly different meanings. These three words are commonly misused (or, alternatively, misspelled).<ref>[https://textgears.com/read/learn-english-grammar-rules/homonyms-in-english Homonyms in English]</ref>

*'''there'''&nbsp;– "The bow shot the arrow '''there'''," he said as he pointed.
*'''their'''&nbsp;– "It was '''their''' bow and arrow." the Mother said.
*'''they're'''&nbsp;– '''They're''' not going to get to shoot the bow again after puncturing the tire (tyre) on Daddy's car. ([[Contraction (grammar)|Contraction]] of [[They]] and [[Copula (linguistics)#English|Are]].)

The words '''metal''' and '''mettle''' are polysemes and homophones, but not homographs.

== Homonyms in historical linguistics ==
Homonymy can lead to communicative conflicts and thus trigger lexical ([[onomasiology|onomasiological]]) change.<ref>On this phenomenon see Williams, Edna R. (1944), ''The Conflict of Homonyms in English'', [Yale Studies in English 100], New Haven: Yale University Press, [[Joachim Grzega|Grzega, Joachim]] (2004), ''Bezeichnungswandel: Wie, Warum, Wozu? Ein Beitrag zur englischen und allgemeinen Onomasiologie'', Heidelberg: Winter, p. 216ff., and Grzega, Joachim (2001d), “Über Homonymenkonflikt als Auslöser von Wortuntergang”, in: Grzega, Joachim (2001c), ''Sprachwissenschaft ohne Fachchinesisch: 7 aktuelle Studien für alle Sprachinteressierten'', Aachen: Shaker, p. 81-98.</ref> This is known as ''homonymic conflict''. This leads to a species of [[informal fallacy]] of thought and argument called by the latin name [[equivocation]].

== See also ==
{{wiktionary}}
* [[False friend]]s, words from different languages that appear similar but differ in meaning
* [[Synonym]]s, different words with identical or very similar meanings (conceptual inversion of "homonym")
* [[Riddle]]
* [[Word play]]
* [[Cognate]]

== Notes ==
<references group="note"/>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I_ZMnw5P1lMC&q=homonyms |title=Homonyms: Why English Suffers |first1=Robert |last1=Christman |isbn=9780971193055 |year=2002 |location=Las Cruces, New Mexico|type=Paperback|publisher=Barbed Wire Publishing}}
*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wt9ZCOn4814C&q=homonyms |title=Homophones and Homographs: An American Dictionary |edition=4th |first1=James B. |last1=Hobbs |isbn=9781476603933 |date=November 2014 |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |type=E-book |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]}}
*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CEqTBAAAQBAJ&q=homonyms |title=Homonyms, Homophones and Homographs |first1=Manik |last1=Joshi |isbn=9781468948554 |date=June 25, 2014 |type=E-book |publisher=Manik Joshi}}
*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0crig9rvzpMC&q=homonyms |title=Dictionary of Homonyms |first1=David |last1=Rothwell |isbn=9781840225426 |year=2007 |type=Paperback|publisher=[[Wordsworth Reference]] |location=Ware England}}

{{Lexicology}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Homonymy| ]]
[[Category:Types of words]]