<Original>Polysemy and Homonymy : Difficulties for Japanese Learners

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  • Polysemy and Homonymy Difficulties for Japanese Learners

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This essay refers to semantic categories of English, polysemy and homonymy, and also to vocabulary learning by Japanese learners. Categorization of these two is not easy for non-native speakers like the Japanese. When they learn English as a foreign language, they might, for example, come across two types of entries : first, 'lie^1' and 'lie^2', and second, 1 to 4 under one heading 'lip'. The word 'lie' is an eample of homonymy, as it has two independent entries, while 'lip' exhibits polysemy because there are several meanings under one entry. In what way do dictionary editors classify a word into these two categories? What are the criteria that differentiate between polysemy and homonymy? This study presents several examples from English, where Japanese learners have some difficulties. It concludes that dictionary editors choose between polysemy and homonymy on the basis of semantic and etymological criteria, taking cultural background into consideration.

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