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prettygoodwordhypernym (HAI-per-nim) - n., a word that is a superordinate, more generic term for another word.
That is, the general class of which the another word is a more specific type -- so insect is a hypernym of ant and beetle. And yes, there's a name for the inverse relationship, but put a pin in that till tomorrow. Note that some words are not in an easily parsed semantic hierarchy and so don't have a hypernym, just as not all words have antonyms. The term was coined in the early 1970s by a linguist (I haven't identified who yet) on the model of synonym with the prefix replaced with hyper-, over -- the older name for the concept is the clunky and Latinate superordinate term, which clearly needed replacement.
---L.
That is, the general class of which the another word is a more specific type -- so insect is a hypernym of ant and beetle. And yes, there's a name for the inverse relationship, but put a pin in that till tomorrow. Note that some words are not in an easily parsed semantic hierarchy and so don't have a hypernym, just as not all words have antonyms. The term was coined in the early 1970s by a linguist (I haven't identified who yet) on the model of synonym with the prefix replaced with hyper-, over -- the older name for the concept is the clunky and Latinate superordinate term, which clearly needed replacement.
---L.
