Homonymy in Language: Origins and Impact

Homonymy

Three Ways in Which Homonymy Can Arise

1.1 Phonetic Convergence

Under the influence of ordinary phonetic changes, two or more words which once had different forms coincide in the spoken language and sometimes in writing as well. For example, meat and meet.

1.2 Semantic Divergence

When two or more meanings of the same word drift apart to such an extent that there will be no obvious connection between them, polysemy will give place to homonymy and the unity of the word will be destroyed. For example, pupil, meaning ward or scholar, and pupil, meaning the apple of the eye. Another example is collation, meaning comparison or light repast. It is difficult to say in particular cases where polysemy ends and where homonymy begins:

• If two words identical in form can be used in the same sentence without any sense of repetition, this suggests that the speaker is unaware of any connection between them.
• Rhyme.
• Social science has workable techniques for studying subjective opinions which could be applied to homonymy problems. Use statistical inquiry.

1.3 Foreign Influence

Many words introduced from abroad have increased the ranks of homonyms in English and other languages (mail/male). When a loanword becomes firmly established in its new surroundings, it will be adapted to the local phonetic system and will thenceforth take part in the normal sound changes; it may thus come to coincide with other words in the receiving language. Semantic borrowing can also lead to homonymy. For example, in German schools, castle and lock are homonyms. The Czech and Polish word for a “lock”, zamek, is also used in the sense of “castle”.

Homonymy Clashes

Differences between homonymy and polysemy: It is impossible to imagine a language without polysemy, whereas a language without homonyms is not only conceivable, it would in fact be a more efficient medium. Polysemy is incomparably more widespread than homonymy.

Safeguards Against Any Possibility of Confusion

The most important safeguard is the influence of context. Homonymy causes linguistic disturbances only when it exists between words that in given contexts cause misunderstandings. In addition to context, there are several special safeguards against homonymy.

1. Many Homonyms Exist Only in Theory

In practice, there is no risk of confusion since they belong to different word classes. For example, know/no, know/nose, knew/new.

2. In Languages Which Possess Grammatical Gender

This can help to distinguish between homonymous nouns. For example, in French, le poêle means stove, while la poêle means frying pan.

3. Inflection

Homonyms belonging to the same word class are sometimes differentiated by inflection. For example, ring, meaning to make a circle, has the past tense ringed, while ring, meaning to sound loudly, has the past tense rang.

4. Compounds or Special Phrases

Compounds or special phrases are formed to show which of two or more homonyms are meant. For example, in English, special phrases are employed to remedy the ambiguity of the underlined word: left-hand corner, without let or hindrance.

5. Spellings

In languages with non-phonetic writing, spelling will often help to differentiate between words identical in sounds. For example, in Spanish, baca and vaca. This reduces the number of homonyms on the written and the printed page but leaves spoken language unaffected. The value of spelling as a safeguard has been doubted by some scholars (Bloomfield).

6. Modifying the Form

Modifying the form of the words involved can avoid cases of homonymic conflict. For example, the clash between gate (entrance) and gate (road, street) led in standard English and in many dialects to the disappearance of the second word. In spite of all these safeguards, a full-scale homonymic clash takes place. One word has to be replaced from the scene. If we explore the choice of possible substitutes, we find that the gap caused by the disappearance of a homonym can be filled in a variety of ways:

• a) In some cases, a word has been introduced from a foreign language to provide a substitute for a displaced homonym. For example, in French, aimer (to love) and esmer (to esteem) became homonymous in old French and esmer disappeared, it was replaced by estimer.
• b) When one of the conflicting homonyms has an unpleasant meaning, it may be dropped and the same idea may be expressed by a euphemism. For example, the phonetic similarity between Old English adela (dirt) and Modern English addle and adl (disease) was one of the reasons for the disappearance of the latter term.