Question
Which among the following rightly defines ‘homonyms’?
The correct answer is
Morphemes which sound the same but have different meanings
The question asks to identify the correct definition of 'homonyms' from the given options.
Defining Homonyms Correctly
Homonyms are words that share the same pronunciation or spelling but have different meanings. Let's analyze the options:
- Option 1: States that morphemes sound different but have the same meanings. This describes synonyms, not homonyms.
- Option 2: States that morphemes sound the same but have different meanings. This is the core definition of homonyms. For example, 'bat' (the flying mammal) and 'bat' (the sports equipment).
- Option 3: Describes affixes or bound morphemes that attach to other words. This is unrelated to the definition of homonyms.
- Option 4: States that morphemes sound the same but have different spellings. This describes homophones (e.g., 'to', 'too', 'two'), which are a *subset* of homonyms but not the complete definition. Homonyms can also share the same spelling (e.g., 'bank' of a river vs. 'bank' for money).
Conclusion on Homonyms
Based on the analysis, the definition that accurately and broadly defines homonyms is that they sound the same but possess different meanings.
Therefore, the correct definition is:
Morphemes which sound the same but have different meanings
Was this answer helpful?
Important Questions from Literature
- Gitanjali, a famous collection of poems, was originally written in which of the following languages?
- Which of the following languages is most notably associated with the literary contributions of Girish Karnad, exemplified by his acclaimed play 'Tughlaq'?
- Which of the following texts is considered the earliest Tamil grammar work?
- The drain of wealth theory was a major critique of colonial economic policies. Who propounded the 'Drain of wealth theory' in the late $19^{th}$ century?
- Which one of the following plays mock the Restoration drama of Dryden and Thomas Otway?
Need Expert Advice?
