Introduction and terminology

The meanings of words, and semantic analysis generally, can be discussed in terms of sense variation around a common core, and in terms of the kinds of affinities and contrasts we can discern between meanings.

Sense variation: homophony, homonymy, polysemy

In Chapter 8 we listed and commented on some roots and affixes that can easily be confused. We dealt with them under the umbrella of the neutral term homophony (‘sounding the same’). All of the pairs below count as homophones:

1. chair: to sit on vs. chair of a department

2. corn: grain, seed vs. corn on toe

3. crane: a bird vs. crane a machine

4. ear: of corn vs. ear organ of hearing

5. load: of dirt vs. lode in a gold mine

6. meal: ground up vs. meal at dinner time

7. mettle: in the sense of courage vs. metal in the sense of iron, copper

8. pupil: of your eye vs. pupil a student

9. score: a notch, vs. score a game result, vs. score a group of twenty

10. sea: body of water vs. see verb of perception

11. seal: aquatic mammal vs. seal a device for making imprints

12. sole: fish vs. sole only vs. sole of a shoe, vs. soul in a religious sense

13. trip: journey vs. trip to obstruct, cause to fall

14. waist: of a person vs. waste squander

The term homophony, useful as it is, bundles together words of the type chair (to sit on) – chair (of a department) and corn (on the cob) – corn (on toe).