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Glite Dictionary
synsemantic

synsemantic

9.9
A word that has meaning only when used with other words
  • adjective
  • /sɪnˈsɛmənˌtɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sinsemántico
  • Articles such as 'the' or 'an' are classic examples of synsemantic words in many languages.

Examples

  • Auxiliary verbs like 'can' and 'will' are often classified as synsemantic rather than autosemantic.

  • In linguistics, prepositions are typically considered synsemantic because their full meaning depends on accompanying words.

  • The term synsemantic is often used in linguistic discussions.

  • Many synsemantic phrases depend on context for their meaning.

  • In linguistics, prepositions are typically considered synsemantic because their full meaning depends on accompanying words.

  • Auxiliary verbs like 'can' and 'will' are often classified as synsemantic rather than autosemantic.

  • Articles such as 'the' or 'an' are classic examples of synsemantic words in many languages.

Synonyms

syncategorematic
vssynsemantic
  • Specialized
9.9

A word that cannot stand alone and needs other words to have meaning

is the same concept expressed using a different technical term

Surface Forms

synsemantic positive

Morphology

synsemantic = semantic (transparent) = syn + semantic

Formed by the combining prefix 'syn-' (together) attached to 'semantic', so the sense 'meaning only in co-occurrence' follows directly from its parts.

Etymology

Synsemantic comes from the Greek parts syn- and semantic, where syn- means 'together' (as in synchronize or synonym) and semantic means 'meaning' (as in semantics). So, a synsemantic word is one that only has meaning when it is 'together' with other words.