[Lexicog] Law of Synonyms

[Fritz Goerling]

Jon,

Maybe one of use. I only use the word 'computer' although I know that is not
precise. I was surprised during a recent 7-month-stay in Germany to hear
only the word "notebook." Denotatively all three refer to the same thing.
Semantically the accent is put of different aspects: you can put it on your
lap,

It functions like a notebook, you can carry it.

Fritz Goerling

Fritz,
What would you say is the semantic difference 
between 'laptop', 'notebook' and 'portable computer', then?
Jon Mills

--- In lexicographylist@ <mailto:lexicographylist%40yahoogroups.com>
yahoogroups.com, "Fritz Goerling" 
<Fritz_Goerling at ...> wrote:
>
> Is there a law of synonyms? I don't believe in synonyms. No two 
words are
> exactly "synonymous" from the point of view of connotation.
> 
> Concerning your example from the computer domain, let me mention 
another
> example, given to me by a computer specialist. Who speaks of 'jump 
drive' or
> 'pen drive' any more? It's probably between 'flash drive' 
and 'thumb drive'
> nowadays. And who knows what will come up next.
> 
> When two or more expressions come up at about the same time and 
compete,
> 'brevity (punch)' is one factor IMO that makes the winner.
> 
> 
> 
> Brevity is the soul of wit (Shakespeare, Hamlet 2, 86-92),
> 
> Fritz Goerling
> 
> Law of Synonyms 
> There must be a law of synonyms somewhere (of phrasal synomyms 
> in particular). Dictionaries and thesauruses (thesauri) seem too 
> arbitrary & random too trust for this purpose. Of course, corpora 
> listings are easy for words. I've been wondering for years what the 
> world would gravitate toward -- "laptop" or "notebook" 
> computer. "Portable computer" seems quaint, but... The reason I'm 
> fishing in this pond is that I would hate wading through 
> dissertations or theses looking for synonym principles (must be 
lazy 
> or something). The only simple, quick source for finding phrasal 
> frequency comparisons seems to be google-counting. "Laptop" 
(computer
> (s)) wins on this one, generally by 22%-30%. But we're dealing with 
> the `phrase' "notebook computer" and "laptop computer." 
> Googling "notebook" alone skews the results. 
> Has anyone done, or seen, research about how one term (or 
> phrase) tends to predominate over others -- when two or more 
> expressions begin at about the same time? Is is there a phonetic 
> (e.g. reduplicative, length, ease-of-pronunciation) influence? Is 
> there a "great-man" influence, according to coiner? First come, 
first 
> served? Regional? Or is it truly unpredicable? 
> This is an open-ended question.... Any ideas?
> 
> Scott Nelson
>

 

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