Units of Synonymy and Lexical Relations

Abstract

This papers focuses on a number of lexical relations such as synonymy, antonymy, polysemy and homonymy, with special attention paid to the relationship between synonymy and the other lexical relations. Firstly, the problem of synonymy units is discussed, followed by an analysis of how different lexical relations help study and understand each of them. Moreover, a better understanding of synonymy in such a web of relations, makes language users realize the complexity of synonym use, especially in terms of context. This paper aims to show that a thorough analysis of synonymy requires the analysis of the interrelationship between this lexical relation and the other ones mentioned above.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n13p0522