different between homonym vs contranym

English

Etymology

homo- +? -onym

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?h?m.??n?m/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?h?m.??n?m/

Noun

homonym (plural homonyms)

1. (semantics, strict sense) A word that both sounds and is spelled the same as another word.
2. (loosely) A word that sounds or is spelled the same as another word, technically called a homophone (same sound) or a homograph (same spelling).
3. (taxonomy) A name for a taxon that is identical in spelling to another name that belongs to a different taxon.

Usage notes

• Homonyms (in the broader sense) are divided into the two overlapping subcategories homographs and homophones. Examples:
  • die and dye (homophones but not homographs)
  • the parasitic flatworm called the fluke, the fish called the fluke, and a fluke, part of the tail of a whale (both homophones and homographs and therefore true homonyms in the strict sense)
  • the metal lead and the present tense of the verb lead (homographs but not homophones)

Derived terms

• homonymic
• homonymous

Translations

See also

Further reading

• homonym on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• homonym (biology) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Danish

Adjective

homonym (neuter homonymt, plural and definite singular attributive homonyme)

1. homonymic

Noun

homonym

1. homonym

Declension

Swedish

Noun

homonym c

1. homonym

Declension

English

Alternative forms

• contronym

Etymology

contra- +? -nym, coined 1962 by Jack Herring as contronym.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?k?n.t??.n?m/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?k?n.t??.n?m/

Noun

contranym (plural contranyms)

1. A word that has two opposing meanings, such as cleave (“stick together” or “split apart”).

Synonyms

• autoantonym
• antagonym
• Janus word

Translations

Related terms

• contronymy, contranymy

See also

• Appendix:English contranyms
• Category:Contranyms by language

References