Synonyms as a language universal. Classification of synonyms viewed synchronically.

Synonyms are 2 or more words of the same language, belonging to same part of speech and possessing one or more identical or nearly identical denotative m-ings, interchangeable at least in some contexts, but differing in morphemic structure, phonetic shape, shades of m-ing, connotations, style and idiomatic use.

synonyms in different part of speech:

Syn.nouns: end,close,termination,conclusion,finish,terminus,stopping; кінець, закінчення, зупинка.

Syn.adj.:conclusive,ending,final,terminal,compleing,ultimate;кінцевий,заключний,останній.

Syn.verbs: act,play,perform,rehearse,star,mimic,imitate,inact,play a part; діяти, виконувати,відігравати,брати участь.

Syn.adv.:surprisingly,unexpectedly,suddenly;раптово,зненацька,негадано,як сніг на голову.

Ideographic synonyms denote different shades of denotative m-ing of different degrees of a given quality.(e.g. look,seem,appear; beautiful,fine,handsome,pretty; йти,рухатись,мандрувати,курсувати,прямувати;поважний,серцозний,солідний,важливий,величний.)

Each synonymic group comprises a synon.dominant which is both stylistically and emotionally neutral potentially containing the specific features of all other members of this group.(e.g. look, beautiful, йти, думати, поважний)

Total(absolute) syn. can replace each other in any given context.(e.g. noun, substantive; scarlet, fever, scarlatine;сім’я,родина; відсоток,процент)

Stylistic syn. are words which are close or identical in denotative m-ing but differ in stylistic sphere of application. (e.g. child-infant-kid(neutral- -colloquian); often-oft(neutral-archaic); говорити, промовляти, горлопанити, бубоніти, белебеніти, теревенити, гундосити)

Contextual(or context-dependent)syn. are similar in m-ing only in some specific distributional conditions(e.g. he bought(got) the book of the bookshop – він купив(дістав) книжку; I cant stand(bear) him – Я не можу його терпіти(переносити)

Territorial(local) syn are words which don’t differ either ideographically or stylistically but are used in different countries speaking the same language. (e.g.autumn(BE,AuE)-fall(AE), sidewalk(AE,CnE)-footpath(AuE), вуйко(western Hutsul dialects), дядько(uncle), дядя(нянько,батько(father).

Synonyms viewed diachronically. The sources of synonyms.

Diachronically we speak about the origin of synonyms an the causes of their abundance in English. Synonyms may owe their origin to:

a)foreign borrowings (e.g. to ask(native)-to question(Fn)-to interrogate(Lat)

b)dialects(e.g. girl:lass(Scotish), wireless(BE):radio(AE)

Simple native words are stylistically neutral, they are contrasted to literary words, borrowed from French and learned words of Greek-Latin origin.

Words forming process productive in the language at a given tome of its history:

1.affixation(e.g. anxiety: anxiousness)

2.loss of affixes(e.g. amongst: among; await: wait)

3.shortening(e.g. memorandum: memo; popular: pop)

4.compounding(e.g. resistance: fight back; treachery: sell out)