[Lexicog] Law of Synonyms

[Ronald Moe]

I believe the correct claim concerning 'synonyms' is that there are no exact
synonyms. For two words to be exact synonyms they would have to be
interchangeable in any and all contexts with no change in meaning or any
other aspect of usage. For instance the two resulting expressions could not
have a different set of implicatures.

Concerning 'laptop' and 'notebook', IBM does not sell 'laptops'. They only
sell 'notebooks'. So 'laptop' and 'notebook' are not interchangeable in the
context of IBM. Someone might talk about owning an "IBM laptop," but you
won't find ads on IBM's website for 'laptops'. I searched their website for
'laptop' and was redirected to ads for 'notebooks'. So, although the terms
are interchangeable on an informal basis and roughly refer to the same set
of real-world objects, we can find contexts in which the two terms are
distinguished and in which they refer to similar but different sets of
real-world objects.

One of our jobs as lexicographers is to learn how synonyms vary (they can
vary in just about any respect), how to discover the differences (a corpus
helps), and how to describe the differences in our dictionaries. Most
dictionaries give cross-references for synonyms; very few describe how they
differ. But users often want to know which synonym would be best in which
contexts. I shudder to think how I would clearly and concisely state the
difference between 'laptop' and 'notebook'.

By the way, I'm writing this email on my IBM notebook. I expect my next
computer will be a wristtop or a thumbtop.  :)

Ron Moe

-----Original Message-----
From: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
[mailto:lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Fritz Goerling
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 9:27 AM
To: lexicographylist at yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [Lexicog] Law of Synonyms

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 at yahoogroups.com
<mailto:lexicographylist%40yahoogroups.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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