Revised as of
7 Mar 2023
Samuel Johnson included paronyms into that first dictionary, much as today’s dictionaries assess which words will be added to their own lists.
Paronyms are all about the derivatives or the sound-alikes, whether it evolves from a foreign or an Olde English word; tacks on -ed, -ing, -ly, -tion, and so many more possible prefixes and/or suffixes; or, is similar to another word — look at all those Word Confusions I’ve been blogging about for more examples!
. . . and ad infinitum . . . *grin*
| Spelling | Sounds | Meaning | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homonym | ||||
| same | same | different | bark (tree)
bark (dog) |
|
| Homograph | ||||
| same | same OR different |
different | present (gift)
present (introduce) |
|
| Heteronym | ||||
| same | different | different | row (argument)
row (of seats) |
|
| Heteronym ** | ||||
| same | different | different | row (argument)
row (of seats) |
|
| Paronym ** | ||||
| different | different | derivative | childish from child
preface from prefatio affect vs effect |
|
| Capitonym | ||||
| same, except
1. Proper Noun |
same or different |
different |
1. March (third month of the year) 2. march (high stepping) |
|
| Monosemy * | ||||
| ONE word | same | only ONE meaning | aunt | |
| Polysemy * | ||||
| same | same or different |
shares a common root | mouth (hole in your face)
mouth (cave opening) |
|
| Homophone | ||||
| same or different |
same | different | rose (flower)
rose (past tense of rise) fair fare |
|
| Heterograph | ||||
| different | same | different | copy right (copy correctly)
copyright (patent) copywrite (write copy) |
|
| * Monosemy is the opposite of polysemy. | ||||
Linguistics is . . .
. . . the systematic study of the nature, structure, and variation of language (of which grammar is a part), which describes how people use language. For the writer, how words are used (or spelled!) determines a character's social and educational level and the time period for the story.
As I discover more examples, also-known-ases, and additions, I'll update this post. If you have a suggestion, I would appreciate you contacting me. If you found this post on "Paronym" interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you'd like to track this post for future updates.
| Paronym | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Part of Speech: Linguistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Definition: A word which is a derivative of another or is formed by adaptation of a foreign word.
The opposite of heteronym, which is a subset of homograph, which is a subset of homonym. A.k.a., beside-word, isonym??, neology, borrowing, borrowed word, calque, imported word, loan translation POST CONTENTS |
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| Derivative Paronym | Rule: A word which is derived from another word or from a word with the same root, including cognate, derivatives, plurals, tense endings, and predicate mode endings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Adaptation of Foreign Word | Rule: Formed by the adaptation of a foreign word with only minor changes in form, or with no change at all. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Similar To | Rule: A word that can easily be mistaken for another word, whether it's by sound or in appearance. It may be a near homonym. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Oronym | Rule: A paronymic phrase with similar pronunciations but different spellings and meanings. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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C'mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we'll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Linguistics posts by exploring its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, the Properly Punctuated, Word Confusions, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Paronyms
Herman, Judith. "11 Words With Meanings That Have Changed Drastically Over Time." Mental Floss.
"Language Issues: How New Words are Created." The History of English.
List of Foreign Words and Phrases. The Oxford Dictionaries.
Maddox, Maeve. "Paronyms and Paranyms." Daily Writing Tips.
Persad, Hyacinth. "How Words Evolve… a Darwinian look a the English Language." New York Public Library.
Weston, Andrew. "The Evolution of Words." Gengo.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
A portrait of Samuel Johnson by Joshua Reynolds was uploaded by Geogre and Harry S Truman Sombrero is courtesy of the National Park Service, <http://www.nps.gov/hstr/exhibits/hats/22031_sombrero.htm>. Both are in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
