What is hyponymy? Well, the term hyponymy originally derives from the Greek words hypo and onoma which mean 'below' and 'name'. But how can this be used in an everyday sentence?
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Sign up for freeAre these words co-hyponyms to each other: pop, jazz, rock, and blues?
Are these words co-hyponyms to each other: sunny, cloudy, weather, rain, and snow?
How to test whether a set of words are hyponyms?
True or false - car windows, car doors, bumpers, and headlights are the hyponyms of cars.
True or false - roof, windows, doors, and walls are the meronyms of buildings.
True or false?Hyponymy involves a kind of relation.
Apple is the _______ of fruit.
Fruit is the ________ of apple.
Co-hyponyms are hyponyms on __________ hierarchical level.
True or false?Polysemy refers to multiple words that have the same meaning.
Are these words co-hyponyms to each other: pop, jazz, rock, and blues?
Are these words co-hyponyms to each other: sunny, cloudy, weather, rain, and snow?
How to test whether a set of words are hyponyms?
True or false - car windows, car doors, bumpers, and headlights are the hyponyms of cars.
True or false - roof, windows, doors, and walls are the meronyms of buildings.
True or false?Hyponymy involves a kind of relation.
Apple is the _______ of fruit.
Fruit is the ________ of apple.
Co-hyponyms are hyponyms on __________ hierarchical level.
True or false?Polysemy refers to multiple words that have the same meaning.
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Team Hyponymy Teachers
Hyponymy in semantics roughly illustrates 'the subordinate relation of a word'¹― but what does it mean in practice? To better understand it, let's examine these sentences:
The three sentences have one thing in common: they all mean 'to clean something', but use different verbs (sweep, wipe, and scrub). If we put their relationship in a diagram, we get something like this:
Fig. 1 - Clean is the superordinate.
From this example of hyponymy we can say that:
In other words, hyponymous relations refer to the super- and subordinate relationships between words. Words on the superordinate level are called hypernyms, and words on the subordinate level are called hyponyms.
The hierarchical relationship is based on the definition of the word. The word meaning of a hyponym (eg sweep, wipe, and scrub) is included in its hypernym (clean). Hypernym is then the “broader term” of its hyponyms (a more “specific term” than the hypernym).
A ↑ ↓ B
Hyponymy isn't restricted to verbs. It can be found in other parts of speech, such as adjectives and nouns. Take a look at an example of hyponymy in an adjective below.
Fig. 2 - Red, blue and yellow are co-hyponyms.
From this example we can say that:
Fig. 3 - The hypernym of bird and dog is animal.
This example of hyponymy in nouns shows that:
Based on the examples we can summarize as follows:
From Example 3 we can say that:
Since hyponymy is about super- and subordinates, you can test for a hyponym by using an 'a kind of' method. Ask this question: "Is X a kind of Y?" If the answer is yes, then X and Y have a hyponymy relationship, with X as the hyponym and Y as the hypernym (Cann, 2011).
For instance: "Is apple a kind of fruit?" → yes, apple is a kind of fruit.
Understanding the concept of hyponymy can be useful when you want to substitute a word with a more general term (its hypernym). For example:
The doves have begun building their nest.
Since bird is the hypernym of dove, you can also say: the birds have begun building their nest. Be aware that substituting a word with its hypernym won't change the sense of the sentence, but will generalize it (doves → birds).
Important to note: If you replace a word with its co-hyponym and NOT with its hypernym, the sentence's meaning will change.
For example, The doves have begun building their nest.
The difference between hyponymy and polysemy is that polysemy is about one word with more than one meaning. To explain the difference, let's take the word mouse as an example.
Because the word mouse has multiple meanings, it should be used clearly. Otherwise, it can cause lexical ambiguity: "Do you mean the animal mouse or the computer device?"
Hyponymy describes a super- and subordinate relationship between words.
Hence, even if the word mouse is used without a specific reference to the house mouse or field mouse, it still indicates the animal (mouse). It doesn't cause lexical ambiguity with another meaning of mouse (a computer device).
Based on these two different concepts, we can say:
Bring me the mouse!
Study tip: Remember, you can always use the 'a kind of' method to test whether the words are hyponyms.
While hyponymy is about 'a kind of' relation, meronymy shows a part / whole relationship between words. A has B; that means B is a part of A.
For example, a human has two arms - an arm has a hand - a hand has five fingers.
This means fingers, hands, and arms are all meronyms of humans. They're parts of the human body. The same applies to lips, teeth, and tongues. They are meronyms to mouth, which in turn, is a meronym to face.
Fig. 4 - Meronymy shows a part/whole relationship.
Study tip: like before, use the 'a kind of' method to test whether the words are hyponyms.
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What does hyponymy mean?
Hyponymy defines a more specific word for a broader term, eg TV, radio, telephone, and fridge are the hyponyms of electronic devices (hypernym).
What are some examples of hyponymy?
Some examples of hyponyms are rose, lily, and orchid. The hypernym in this case is flower.
How do you use hyponymy in a sentence?
Hyponymy in a sentence is used to replace a word with its hypernym. A hyponym can't be replaced with its co-hyponym. For instance, I planted the rose. Since flower is the hypernym of rose, you can also say: I planted the flower. Replacing rose with flower won't change the sense of the sentence but generalizes it.
What does a hypernym mean?
A hypernym is the superordinate of hyponyms. For example, the hypernym of car, train, bus, and bicycle is a mode of transportation.
What is a co-hyponym?
Co-hyponym is a hyponym that is on the same hierarchical level. For example, television, radio, newspaper, and the internet are co-hyponyms of each other with mass communication medium as their hypernym.
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