Microsoft Word alexicology doc

Criteria of Synonymy 
Synonymy is associated with some theoretical problems which at 
present are still an object of controversy. Probably, the most contro-
versial among these is 
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the problem of criteria of synonymy. To put it in simpler words, we 
are still not certain which words should correctly be considered as 
synonyms, nor are we agreed as to the characteristic features which 
qualify two or more words as synonyms. 
Traditional linguistics solved this problem with the conceptual 
criterion and defined synonyms as words of the same category of 
parts of speech conveying the same concept but differing either in 
shades of meaning or in stylistic characteristics. 
Some aspects of this definition have been criticised. It has been 
pointed out that linguistic phenomena should be defined in linguistic 
terms and that the use of the term concept makes this an extralinguis-
tic definition. The term "shades of meaning" has been condemned for 
its vagueness and lack of precision. 
In contemporary research on synonymy semantic criterion is fre-
quently used. In terms of componential analysis synonyms may be 
defined as words with the same denotation, or the same denotative 
component, but differing in connotations, or in connotative compo-
nents (see Ch. 7). 
Though not beyond criticism, this approach has its advantages 
and suggests certain new methods of analysing synonyms. 
A group of synonyms may be studied with the help of their dic-
tionary definitions (definitional analysis). In this work the data from 
various dictionaries are analysed comparatively. After that the defini-
tions are subjected to transformational operations (transformational 
analysis). In this way, the semantic components of each analysed 
word are singled out. 
Here are the results of the definitional and transformational analy-
sis of some of the numerous synonyms for the verb to look. 
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Denota-
tion 
Connotations 
to look 
steadily, 
lastingly 
in surprise, cu-
riosity, etc. 
to look 
steadily, 
lastingly 
in anger, rage, 
fury 
to look 
steadily, 
lastingly 
in tenderness, admi-
ration, wonder 
to look 
briefly, in 
passing 
to look 
steadily, 
lastingly 
by stealth; through an 
opening or from a 
concealed location 
] 
to stare: to 
glare: to 
gaze: to 
glance: to 
peer: 
to peer: 
to look 
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ 
steadily, 
lastingly 
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ 
+ 
with difficulty or 
strain 
The common denotation convincingly shows that, according to 
the semantic criterion, the words grouped in the above table are syno-
nyms. The connotative components represented on the right side of 
the table highlight their differentiations. 
In modern research on synonyms the criterion of interchange-