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In linguistics, semantics, general semantics, and ontologies, hyponymy (from Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó) 'under' and ὄνυμα (ónuma) 'name') shows the relationship between a generic term (hypernym) and a specific instance of it (hyponym). A hyponym is a word or phrase whose semantic field is more specific than its hypernym.
In simple terms, think of a hypernym as the big group or category, and hyponyms as the specific members or types within that group. Hypernyms are the general terms, while hyponyms are the specific examples that fit under those general terms.
- Examples and Observations
- Hypernyms, Hyponyms, and Connotations
- A Method of Definition
(Jan McAllister and James E. Miller, Introductory Linguistics for Speech and Language Therapy Practice. Wiley-Blackwell, 2013) (Laurie Beth Feldman, Morphological Aspects of Language Processing. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1995) (Keith M. Denning, Brett Kessler, and William Ronald Leben, English Vocabulary Elements. Oxford University Press, 2007)
(Maggie Bowring et al., Working with Texts: A Core Introduction to Language Analysis. Routledge, 1997)
(David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press, 2003) Alternate Spellings: hyperonym
- Richard Nordquist
A hypernym describes a more broad term, for example cutlery, or dog. A hyponym is a more specialised and specific word, for example: spoon would be a hyponym of cutlery and labrador would be a hyponym of dog.
In linguistics, a hyponym is a word that can be changed with a different and less precise word without changing the overall meaning of the phrase. The different word is its hyperonym, hypernym or superordinate term. [1] [2] [3] Hyponymy is a relation to a more generic word. [4]
Hyponymy is variable across cultures and from individual to individual in many cases, so learners need the data to refine their understanding of what may and may not be included under a particular hypernym or superordinate.
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What is the difference between a hyponym and a hypernym?
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What does hypernym mean?
Apr 21, 2015 · A more specific term; a subordinate grouping word or phrase. A hyper nym is: A word or phrase whose referents form a set including as a subset the referents of a subordinate term. So, spoon would be a hyponym of cutlery.
