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Glite Dictionary
hyponymy

hyponymy

9.9
A relationship where one word has a more specific meaning than another word, for example 'rose' and 'flower'
  • noun
  • /ˌhaɪpəˈnɪmi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hiponimia
  • In linguistics, the hyponymy between 'sparrow' and 'bird' means that every sparrow is a bird.

Examples

  • Understanding hyponymy helps students organize vocabulary into hierarchies and categories.

  • The hyponymy of 'rose' to 'flower' illustrates how language can express specific and general relationships.

  • A hyponymy relationship exists between 'rose' and 'flower'.

  • In linguistics, hyponymy is a crucial concept.

  • In linguistics, the relationship of hyponymy between 'dog' and 'animal' indicates that every dog falls under the category of animal.

  • The hyponymy of 'car' to 'vehicle' shows how more specific terms relate to broader categories.

  • Knowing about hyponymy can help learners distinguish between terms like 'apple' and 'fruit' in their studies.

How Specific

hyponymy
  • Specialized
9.9
hypernymy
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

hyponymy singular
hyponyms plural

Morphology

hyponymy = hyponym (transparent) = hyponym + y

Formed by the regular derivation hyponym + -y to name the abstract relation; the meaning is predictable from the base term 'hyponym'.

Etymology

The word hyponymy comes from Greek parts hypo- meaning 'under' and -onym meaning 'name', the same -onym you see in synonym. So a hyponymy is like an 'under-name' connection where a specific word such as 'sparrow' is included under a more general word such as 'bird'.