Homonyms are words that are identical in sound composition, but not related in meaning: lezginka (dance) - lezginka (woman); rook (chess piece) - rook (ship); Ambassador (method of procuring products) - Ambassador (diplomat). The same external sound-letter and grammatical form of homonyms makes communication difficult, since the distinction of their meaning is possible only in context, in combination with other words. Homonyms, examples of which this show, cannot be understood without context: a profitable sentence is an impersonal sentence; kidneys bloom - cure the kidneys; the right hand is the right (innocent).
Types and examples of homonyms in Russian
Complete lexical homonymy is a coincidence of words related to the same part of speech in all forms: month (calendar) - month (luminous), car assembly (from the verb assemble) - assembly on fabric (fold), motive (musical) - motive (behavior), read (book) - read (adults, parents), outfit (order) - outfit (clothes), note (diplomatic) - note (musical). Incomplete lexical homonymy implies a coincidence in the spelling and sound of words related to the same part of speech, not in all forms: ramp (wheel; inanimate) - ramp (to the river; inanimate) - ramp (fish; animate); dig in a hole (perfect view - dig in) - dig in the medicine (perfect view - dig in); cancer (river animal) - cancer (disease, has only a single number).
There are homonyms, examples of which can be seen later, related to grammatical and sound changes: mouth - gender (pronounced [mouth]); three (from the verb to rub) - three (number); a pair (boot) - (clubs) a pair; oven (pies) - (Russian) oven.
Homonyms: examples and types in structure
- Root They have a non-derivative basis: marriage (factory) and marriage (happy), peace (reigns in the family and state) and peace (Universe).
- Derived homonyms are the result of word formation: drill (drill song) and drill forest.
Phonetic, Grammar, and Graphic Homonyms: Use Cases
Homophones (phonetic homonyms) are words that are identical in sound composition, but different in spelling (letter composition): mushroom and flu, code and cat, fort and “Ford”, illuminate and consecrate, people and fierce.
Homographs (letter, graphic homonyms) - words that have the same letter composition, but differ in pronunciation: shelves - shelves, horns - horns, atlas - atlas, soar - soar (stresses in these words fall on different syllables).
Omoforms - the coincidence of the grammatical forms of one word or different words: window glass (noun) - glass on the floor (verb in the past tense), time to go - summer time; hunting (for predators) and hunting (desire); popsicle ice cream - frozen meat (noun and adjective); return in the spring - enjoy spring (adverb and noun); flow on the floor - close up the leak (verb and noun).
Pun and homonyms: examples of words and casual sentences
One must be careful in using homonyms, as in some situations homonymy can distort the meaning of a statement and lead to comic. For example, the words of the commentator of a football match: “In today's match, the players left the football field without goals” - this can be understood in two ways. And even writers are not immune from such speech incidents:
- "Have you heard?"
- "One cannot be indifferent to evil."