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polysemous
Oct. 12th, 2011 07:14 ampolysemous (POL-ee-see-muhs, puh-LIS-uh-muhs) - adj., having many meanings.
When used technically, it's generally understood that the several meanings all stem from the same root, as opposed to two distinct words that happen to be sound and be spelled the same. "Get" is a good English example, meaning variously "procure," "understand," "become," "have," and so on. Borrowed in 1884 from Modern Latin polysēmia, from Late Latin polysēmus, with many significations + -ia, adjectival ending, the former from Greek polýsēmos, from poly-, many + sêma, sign. Note that polysemous is not a self-describing word.
---L.
When used technically, it's generally understood that the several meanings all stem from the same root, as opposed to two distinct words that happen to be sound and be spelled the same. "Get" is a good English example, meaning variously "procure," "understand," "become," "have," and so on. Borrowed in 1884 from Modern Latin polysēmia, from Late Latin polysēmus, with many significations + -ia, adjectival ending, the former from Greek polýsēmos, from poly-, many + sêma, sign. Note that polysemous is not a self-describing word.
---L.
