polysemic

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *polh₁ús

Ancient Greek πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)lbor.

English poly-

Ancient Greek σῆμα (sêma)lbor.

English seme

English polyseme

Proto-Indo-European *-kos

Proto-Indo-European *-ikos

Proto-Italic *-ikos

Latin -icuslbor.

Old French -iquebor.

Middle English -ik

English -ic

English polysemic

From polyseme + -ic.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /pəˈlɪs.ɪ.mɪk/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /pɒ.lɪˈsiː.mɪk/

Adjective

polysemic (comparative more polysemic, superlative most polysemic)

1. (linguistics) Having a number of senses (meanings) or understandings.

   Synonyms: polysemantic, polysemous

   Antonyms: monosemantic, monosemic, monosemous, univocal

   • 2007, Sean Brayton, “MTV's Jackass: Transgression, Abjection and the Economy of White Masculinity”, in Journal of Gender Studies, volume 16, page 58:

     As a series of polysemic and paradoxical sketches, Jackass does not lend itself to one particular theoretical analysis.

Derived terms

• polysemically

Related terms

• oligosemic
• polyseme
• polysemy

Translations

having a number of meanings, interpretations or understandings — see polysemous

See also

• homonymous