ABSTRACT
Languages often have more than one word with the same meaning. Synonyms often belong to different styles or registers. Synonyms can differ in their connotations. Synonyms abound in certain semantic domains. There are more synonyms among adjectives and verbs than among nouns, which is interesting given that nouns easily outnumber verbs and adjectives in the lexicon. Synonyms play a part in formal speech or writing, partly to allow nuances of meaning, and partly to avoid repetition of words. The most productive way of producing antonyms in English is with the prefix un-. The widely-recognised ambiguity of the word hot arises not from two originally separate words coming to be pronounced alike, but through a substantial divergence in meaning. The original meaning is to do with high temperature, but as far back as Middle English the sense of burning taste developed.
