6.2: Polysemy

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English is a polysemous language. That means a word or a phrase can have multiple senses or meanings. For example, look at the many different meanings and connotations the word <run> can have in the following sentences.

Meanings and connotations of <run>

I am going to run in a marathon.

I would like to run for class president.

I have a run in my stockings.

I am afraid my red shirt will run in the wash.

I have to run the dishwasher.

The word polysemy is constructed from two Greek elements; <poly-> with a denotation of “many, much, or multi” and <sem> meaning “signs” or “meanings.” Nordquist (2020) notes that it is estimated that over 40% of English words are polysemous and have more than one meaning. For a word to be polysemous, the word's meanings must be derived from the same etymological root.

Definition: Term

The etymology of the word note; <note> derived from Old French note and directly from Latin nota with a denotation of “mark, sign, or means of recognition” As <note> entered English during the 13 century the sense and meaning was related to songs and musical notes.

The graphic below shows how the word <note> is polysemous and has evolved over time with multiple senses and meanings.

The graphic in this box shows how the word <note> is polysemous and has evolved over time with multiple senses and meanings.

From the graphic illustrating the evolution of <note>, we can see how note is polysemous - from musical notes, to bank notes, to scented notes, to fame and being noteworthy, there are a variety of meanings to this word. (For more guidance on how to read the Etymonline entries for this family, see the “Annotate and Note: How to Read Entries from Etymonline” Activity.)

Based on what you've already learned, make a prediction about how the orhtography might embody multiplicity.

Consider the following questions and note your hypotheses below:

Why does the <ea> sound differently in the words “reach” and “react”?

Why does the <ch> sound differently in the words “school” and “cliche”?

Why does the word “two” contain a <w> and why does “people” contain an <o>?

Why is there an <e> on the end of the word “house”?

At this point in your reading, you have likely learned the answers to many of these questions. While there are specific explanations for each of these spellings, the questions collectively illustrate something about the nature of the English orthography. As you probably noticed, the orthography is not solely phonetic, which means that it is not only spelled by the way it sounds. Furthermore, each letter of the alphabet is not strictly associated with one or two sounds. This is because, more generally, the purpose of the orthography is not simply to represent sound. Instead, as you’ve already learned, the main purpose of English spellings is to represent the senses and meanings of words to people who already know how to speak the language.