POLYSEMY IN ENGLISH: A FUNCTIONAL AND COGNITIVE APPROACH TO SEMANTIC MULTIPLICITY.
Abstract
Words with multiple yet related meanings—known as polysemous words—are fundamental to the structure and flexibility of language. This paper provides an in-depth exploration of how polysemy shapes English semantics and supports communicative efficiency. Through a qualitative analysis of frequent English vocabulary, the study reveals how context guides meaning interpretation, why polysemy emerges naturally in language evolution, and what challenges it poses for both language learners and computational models.
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