Synonyms: Definition and Examples
Synonyms: Definition and Examples
The term "synonyms" of Greek origin andmeans "the same." Synonyms are one of the most important lexico-semantic phenomena of the Russian language. It is synonymy that shows the richness of the language: the more synonyms, the richer one or another language.
In linguistics, there are many definitions that give a concept of what synonyms are.
Definition of a synonym
Synonyms are similar or identicalmeaning of the word, denoting the same concept, but differing from each other or shades of meaning or stylistic coloration and the sphere of use (or both).
Synonyms appear in the language from the existing building material, through dialects, jargons, as well as borrowings from other languages.
Kinds of synonyms in Russian
The following types of synonyms stand out:
1) single-root and multi-rooted. Examples: bass - bass; water - water; blizzard - blizzard - one-nod synonyms. Examples of multi-root synonyms: lumberjack - woodcutter; red - crimson.
2) complete and partial synonyms.
Full synonyms are called, whose lexical meaning is identical. Examples: spelling - spelling; linguistics - linguistics.
Partial synonyms are divided into 3 large groups:
Semantic (or conceptual) - synonyms, differing in shades of meaning. Examples: ugly - ugly; immaculate - flawless.
Stylistic synonyms differ in stylistic coloring. Examples: to die (neutral) - to die (bookish); the hand (neutral) is the hand (book, obsolete).
Semantic-stylistic synonyms are suchsynonyms that differ in both shades of meaning and stylistic coloring. Examples: secret (neutral) - secret (book), differ in the strength of the sign.
Functions of synonyms
In Russian, synonyms perform the following functions:
1) semantic: synonyms allow to avoid monotony of speech, and also with the help of synonyms, the speaker can more accurately express his thought.
2) the stylistic function allows you to use synonyms in accordance with the style and type of text as a vivid means of expressiveness of our speech.
