colexification
nounEtymology By surface analysis, co- + lexi- + -ification.
1
Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences The linguistic pattern whereby multiple meanings can be expressed by the same word (or a pair of homonymous words).
- Languages may be compared in their patterns of colexification – that is, their ability to encode two distinct senses using the same lexeme.2022 June 9, Alexandre François, “Lexical tectonics: Mapping structural change in patterns of lexification”, in Zeitschrift für Sprachwissenschaft, page 95:
- Related terms
- colexical, colexify, dislexify, dyslexify, ambiguity, metonymy, synecdoche, nonuniqueness, unique identifier