Semantic Relations

1. What is the semantic relationship between (or among) the following words? If it is
antonymy, specify the type of antonymy.

a) stop: go

b) vehicle: car, truck, SUV, bicycle

c) mammal: dog, cat, pig, cow

d) awake: asleep

e) couch: sofa

f) strong: weak

g) get: obtain, become, buy.

h) crown: king or queen

i) take: grasp, carry, go (a specific way)

j) I’ll stand (be on my feet): (resist) here.

k) do: undo

l) fast: slow

m) alive: dead

n) I saw the spring (season): (metal coil)

o) beginning: debut

p) (He took the) lead /led/ : lead /li:d/.

2. Identify the superordinate term in each set.

a.
house, shed, building, garage, cottage, hut
b.
plate, saucer, cup, soup bowl, dish, serving bowl
c.
stream, river, rivulet, creek, brook, tributary
d.
glance, peep, stare, leer, look (at), view, watch
e.

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hurricane, tornado, gale, storm, typhoon

3. For each of the following pair of statements, say which predicate is hyponym of
which:
3.1.
a) Jane’s face was red.
b) Jane’s face was crimson.
3.2.
a) Jane slapped Jim.
b) Jane hit Jim.
3.3.
a) Peter walked home.
b) Peter lurched home.
3.4.
a) Piers Plowman tore the Pardon.
b) Piers Plowman cut up the Pardon.

4. Classify the following as cases of polysemy or homonymy: Give reasons for your
answer and write a sentence for each sense.

a. fork (in a road vs. instrument for eating)

b. sole (bottom of foot or shoe vs. kind of fish)
c. tail (of coat vs. animal)
d. bat (furry mammal with membranous wings vs. implement for
striking a ball in certain games)

5. The relationship between the two instances of the word “bank” in:

A. She was in the bank, queuing in front of the teller, when she heard the
shooting

B. She rowed fiercely to the bank to avoid the shooting is one of:

a. meronymy
b. homonymy
c. hyponymy
d. synonymy

6. Determine whether the following are cases of homonymy or polysemy.

a.
fine

‘superior in quality’
‘a sum of money paid as a penalty’

b.
bank

‘an incline of land adjoining a river’

‘a financial institution’

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c.
monitor

‘a pupil who assists a teacher’

‘a device that receives video signals from a computer’

d.
tattoo

‘a permanent design on the skin’

‘a military exercise’

e.
school

‘an institution for instruction’

‘a large group of fish’

f.
leech

‘a bloodsucking worm’
‘a physician’
‘a hanger-on, a sycophant’

g.
horn
‘a structure projecting from the head of an animal’
‘a musical instrument’

h.
ear

‘the organ for hearing’

‘the seed-bearing spike of a cereal plant’

i.
spell

‘to name or write the order of the letters in a word’

‘a magical formula’
‘a period of time’

j.
butt

‘to hit with the head’

‘a target (for jokes)’
‘the larger or thicker end of an object’

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k.
pilot

‘one who operates an aircraft or ship’

‘a television program produced as a prototype of a series’

7. Say which of the following are examples of meronymy

a. belt / buckle
b. valiant / intrepid.
c. fork / prong.
d. door / hinge
e. silly / dumb
f. jacket / lapel