This document discusses key concepts in semantics, the study of meaning in language. It defines semantics as dealing with the meaning and relations between lexical words. It then explains several lexical relations including synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy, homonymy, polysemy. For each it provides examples to illustrate the concept. The document is an introductory overview of fundamental semantic terms and relationships.

2. Qamar Khokhar
Riphah International University Faisalabad
F18-005-9996

3. SEMANTICS

4. Introduction:
 Semantics is a study of meaning in language.the term is
taken from greek semantikos,which means “giving signs”,the
functions of signs in language.
 The term semantics deals with lexical words and the
relations between them.

5. Lexical relations:
1. Synonymy
2. Antonymy
3. Hyponomy
4. Homonomy
5. polysemy

6. Synonymy:
A word having the same or nearly same meaning as another
word.
For example:
almost/nearly , big/large , broad/wide ,buy/purchase.
There are many occasions when one word is appropriate in a
sentense.but its synonym would be odd. I e , Asad had only
one answer correct on the test ,the word reply would sound
odd.

7. Antonymy:
A word having the opposite meaning as another word.
For example:
happy/sad, heavy/light, long/short, old/new.

8. Hyponymy:
When the meaning of one form is included in the meaning of
another,the relationship is described as hyponymy.
For example: animal_dog_poodle,
plant_flower_rose.
When we considered hyponymous connections,we are
essentially looking at the meaning of words in some type of
hierarchical relationship.we say that poodle is hyponym of dog
and rose is a hyponym of flower.

9. Homonymy:
A word having a different meaning,but the same form
as another word.
For example:
bear(verb),bear(animal noun).
bank(financial institution),bank(river bank).
They having the same spellings.

10. Homophones:
When two or more different forms have same
pronounciation,they are homophones.
For example:
 Meat(noun),meet(verb).
 Right(concept,noun),write(verb).
 Flower(plant,noun),flour(noun).

11. Polysemy:
When we encounter two or more words with the same
form and related meaning. Simply defined as “one
form having multiple meanings”.
For example:
the word “head” used to refer to an object on top
of your body,a person at the top of a company or
department and froth top on the glass of milk,so the
question is: where is the head? Could have several
different interpretations.