Paronymy:
Introduction :
Paronymy is the relationship between two linguistic forms, oral and written, which are close but different. It is therefore a lexical relationship between two words whose meanings are different while the spelling (script) and/or pronunciation (oral) are almost identical to the point where they are confused when reading or hearing.
Définition :
Paronyms are words that have similar (not identical) forms. We often tend to confuse them in writing and speaking. But the meanings are completely different.
Examples : « message et massage ».
There are many paronyms that are often confused. Here are a few :
-à faire (to do) / affaire (business)
-à faire : avoir une tâche (have a task), une mission (a mission), quelque chose à réaliser ( something to achieve).
-affaire : avoir affaire à quelqu’un (to deal with someone).
*Auspices / hospice.
- Auspices means support, patronage, protection…
- Hospice means “social assistance home”.
*Bâiller / bayer.
-Bâiller : Opening your mouth as a sign of fatigue or sleep.
-Bayer : daydream, be carried away by dreams.
*Balade / ballade.
-Balade : a stroll is a walk or hike.
-Ballade : ballade is a poem or the lyrics of a song.
*Bimensuel / bimestriel.
-Bimensuel means “that which takes place twice a month”.
-Bimestriel means “what happens, happens once every two months”.
*Censé / sensé.
-Censé means “supposed” (followed by an infinitive). John is supposed to do this work alone.
-Sensé means “who has common sense”, opposite of “insane”
*de suite / tout de suite.
-de suite= following , consecutively.
-tout de suite = on the field.
*En train / entrain
-en train = what is currently running.
-entrain = liveliness, enthusiasm.
*Fond / fonds
-fond = the deepest, lowest point.
-fonds = business capital, large sum of money.
*Repaire / repère.
-Repaire = a refuge, a shelter, a den.
-Repère = a mark, a point of orientation
*Suggestion / sujétion.
-suggestion means a proposal, advice.
-sujétion means a constraint, a dependence.
Homonymy:
It is the relationship between words in a language which have the same oral and/or written form but different meanings. Homonymy is a special case of ambiguity (case of polysemy).
Classes d’homonymes.
1.Les homographes : These are words that are spelled the same way but have different meanings.
Examples :
Fortune / fortune
-Fortune = luck
-Fortune = large amount of money
*Mineur / mineur
-Mineur = one who works in a mine
-Mineur= a child (who is not yet an adult).
*Vent / vent
-Vent = a strong movement of air.
-Vent = intestinal gas.
2.Les homophones.
These are words that are pronounced the same way and written differently.
Example :
*Chat / chas.
-Chat = the cat (animal) meows.
-Chas = the eye of the needle.
Note: Words that are written and pronounced the same way are called “true homonyms.”
Here is a list of common homonyms :
-Aller=(verbe) , aller à l’école. -Allée= (nom) , l’allée du jardin.
Go=(verb), go to school. -Allée= (name), the garden path.
*Au / eau / haut.
-Eau= buvez l’eau minérale -Au=les joueurs sont au stade.
-Water=drink mineral water -Au=the players are at the stadium.
-Haut= le haut du tableau. (haut =/= bas).
-Top= the top of the table. (top =/= bottom).
*Balai / ballet.
-Ballet = groupe de danseurs -Balai= outil pour nettoyage (les escaliers) .
-Ballet = group of dancers -Broom = tool for cleaning (stairs).
*Bar / barre.
-Bar=local où on vend du vin -Barre= une barre de fer.
-Bar=local where wine is sold -Bar=an iron bar.
*Bon / bond.
-Bon= Un bon travail (=/= mauvais) -Bond= saut : le lapin fait des bonds
-Good= Good work (=/= bad) -Bond= jump: the rabbit jumps
*Sans / sang / cent.
-Cent=(100) , un siècle signifie cent ans.
-Hundred=(100) , a century means a hundred years
-Sang= Nous avons tous du sang dans les veines.
-Blood= We all have blood in our veins.
-Sans(préposition)= Ne conduisez pas sans permis.
-Sans(preposition)= Do not drive without a license.
*Chair / cher / chère.
-Chair= la chair humaine - Cher= Les bijoux en or sont chers.
-Flesh= human flesh - Expensive= Gold jewelry is expensive.
-Chère= Chère maman.
-Dear= Dear mom.
*Cour / cours / court.
-Cour= La cour de la maison est spacieuse.
-Courtyard= The courtyard of the house is spacious.
-Cours= Un cours de français
-Course= A French course
-Court(=/= long) un short est un pantalon court.
-Short (=/= long) shorts are short pants.
*Faim / fin.
-Faim =(need to eat). It's noon, the children are hungry.
-Fin = (=/= début) the referee whistles the end of the match, the spectators leave the stadium.
*Lait / laid.
-Lait= Lait de vache. Boire un café au lait. -Laid(=/= beau). Un visage laid.
-Milk= Cow's milk. Drink a latte. -Ugly (=/= beautiful). An ugly face.
*Mer / mère.
-Mer= La mer Méditerranée sépare l’Europe de l’Afrique.
-Sea= The Mediterranean Sea separates Europe from Africa.
-Mère= J’aime beaucoup ma mère.
-Mother= I love my mother very much.
*Mot / maux.
-Mot= ensemble de lettres. Les mots d’une phrase.
-Word= set of letters. The words of a sentence. -
-Maux= les maux de tète.
- pain=headaches.
*Pâte / patte.
-Pâte : pâte pour faire du pain ou des gâteaux.
-Dough: dough for making bread or cakes.
-Patte= la poule a deux pattes.
-Paw= the hen has two legs.
*Poids / pois.
-Poids : le poids de ce bébé est cinq kilos
-Weight: the weight of this baby is five kilos
-Ce plat de petits pois est vraiment délicieux.
-This pea dish is really delicious.
*Reine / renne.
-Reine (féminin de roi) . La reine Elizabeth.
-Queen (feminine of king). Queen Elizabeth.
-Renne (un animal).
-Reindeer (an animal).
*Sale / salle.
-Sale (=/= propre). Laver le linge sale.
-Dirty (=/= clean). Wash dirty laundry.
-Salle (grande pièce) . La salle de classe n°2.
-Room (large room). Classroom n°2.
*Vin / vingt
-Vin= le vin blanc.
-Wine= white wine.
-Vingt (20). Robert est jeune. Il n’a que vingt ans.
-Twenty (20). Robert is young. He is only twenty years old.
