Different definitions of the word

The
word has always been a sort of focus for the problems of phonology,
morphology, syntax and lexicology as it has a sound form because it
is a certain arrangement of phonemes, it has its morphological
structure being also a certain arrangement of morphemes, when
used in actual speech, it may occur in different word forms,
different syntactic functions and signal various meanings.
But not all words seem to have the same kind of meaning. A very
familiar distinction is that made by the English grammarian Henry
Sweet («A New English Grammar, Logical and Historical.”
Oxford, 1940) between «full» words and «form»
words. Examples of full words are tree, sing, blue, gently and of
form words it, the, of, and. Only full words seem to have meaning of
the kind we are interested in. The form words seem to belong to
grammar. They can still be said to have meaning, but meaning of a
grammatical kind.

Thomas
Hobbes,
one
of the great English philosophers, revealed a materialistic approach
to the problem of nomination when he wrote that words are not mere
sounds but names of matter. Three centuries later the great Russian
physiologist I.P. Pavlov examined the word in connection with his
studies of the second signal system, and defined it as a universal
signal that can substitute any other signal from the environment in
evoking a response in a human organism.
One
of the latest developments of science and engineering is machine
translation. It also deals with words and requires a rigorous
definition for them. It runs as follows: a word is a sequence of
graphemes which can occur between spaces, or the representation of
such a sequence on morphemic level.

A
purely semantic treatment will be found in S. Ullmann’s
explanation: with him connected discourse, if analysed from the
semantic point of view, “will fall into a certain number of
meaningful segments which are ultimately composed of meaningful
units. These meaningful units are called words.”

Within
the scope of linguistics the word has been defined syntactically,
semantically, phonologically and by combining various approaches.

It
has been syntactically defined for instance as “the minimum
sentence”
by
H. Sweet and much later by L. Bloomfield as “a minimum free form”.
This last definition, although structural in orientation, may be said
to be, to a certain degree, equivalent to Sweet’s, as practically
it amounts to the same thing: free forms are later defined as “forms
which occur as sentences”.

E.
Sapir takes into consideration the syntactic and semantic aspects
when he calls the word “one of the smallest completely satisfying
bits of isolated ‘meaning’, into which the sentence resolves
itself”.

The
semantic-phonological approach may be illustrated by A.H. Gardiner’s
definition: “A word is an articulate sound-symbol in its aspect of
denoting something which is spoken about.”

The
eminent French linguist A. Meillet combines the semantic,
phonological and grammatical criteria and advances a formula which
underlies many subsequent definitions: “A word is defined by the
association of a particular meaning with a particular group of sounds
capable of a particular grammatical employment.”

S.
Potter, who writes that “unlike a phoneme or a syllable, a word is
not a linguistic unit at all.»³
He calls it a conventional and arbitrary segment of utterance, and
finally adopts the already mentioned
definition
of L. Bloomfield.

Thus
the word is one of the fundamental units of language. It is a
dialectical unity of form and content. Its content or meaning is not
identical in notion, but it may reflect human notions and in this
sense may be considered as the form of their existence. Notions fixed
in the meaning of words are formed as generalized and approximately
correct reflections of reality, therefore in signifying them words
reflect reality in their content. The acoustic aspect of the word
serves to name the objects of reality, not to reflect them. In this
sense the word may be regarded as a sign. This sign, however, is not
arbitrary, but motivated by the whole process of its development.
That is to say, when a word first comes into existence it is always
built out of the elements already existing in the language and
according to the existing patterns, otherwise it cannot be understood
and will be useless in the process of communication. So the word is
the basic unit of language which directly corresponds to the object
of thought (referent) and which is a generalized reverberation of a
certain “slice”, “piece” of objective reality (concept) –
and by immediately referring to it names the thing meant.

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Definition of a Word

A word is a speech sound or a combination of sound having a particular meaning for an idea, object or thought and has a spoken or written form. In English language word is composed by an individual letter (e.g., ‘I’), I am a boy, or by combination of letters (e.g., Jam, name of a person) Jam is a boy. Morphology, a branch of linguistics, deals with the structure of words where we learn under which rules new words are formed, how we assigned a meaning to a word? how a word functions in a proper context? how to spell a word? etc.

Examples of word: All sentences are formed by a series of words. A sentence starts with a word, consists on words and ends with a word. Therefore, there is nothing else in a sentence than a word. 

Some different examples are: Boy, kite, fox, mobile phone, nature, etc.

Different Types of Word

There are many types of word; abbreviation, acronym, antonym, back formation, Clipped words (clipping), collocation, compound words, Content words, contractions, derivation, diminutive, function word, homograph, homonym, homophone, legalism, linker, conjunct, borrowed, metonym, monosyllable, polysyllable, rhyme, synonym, etc. Read below for short introduction to each type of word.

Abbreviation

An abbreviation is a word that is a short form of a long word.

Example: Dr for doctor, gym for gymnasium

Acronym

Acronym is one of the commonly used types of word formed from the first letter or letters of a compound word/ term and used as a single word.

Example: PIA for Pakistan International Airline

Antonym

An antonym is a word that has opposite meaning of an another word

Example: Forward is an antonym of word backward or open is an antonym of word close.

Back formation

Back formation word is a new word that is produced by removing a part of another word.

Example: In English, ‘tweeze’ (pluck) is a back formation from ‘tweezers’.

Clipped words

Clipped word is a word that has been clipped from an already existing long word for ease of use.

Example: ad for advertisement

Collocation

Collocation is a use of certain words that are frequently used together in form of a phrase or a short sentence.

Example: Make the bed,

Compound words

Compound words are created by placing two or more words together. When compound word is formed the individual words lose their meaning and form a new meaning collectively. Both words are joined by a hyphen, a space or sometime can be written together. 

Example: Ink-pot, ice cream,

Content word

A content word is a word that carries some information or has meaning in speech and writing.

Example:  Energy, goal, idea.

Contraction

A Contraction is a word that is formed by shortening two or more  words and  joining them by an apostrophe.

Example:  ‘Don’t’ is a contraction of the word ‘do not’.

Derivation

Derivation is a word that is derived from within a language or from another language.

Example: Strategize (to make a plan) from strategy (a plan).

Diminutive

Diminutive is a word that is formed by adding a diminutive suffix with a word.

Example: Duckling by adding suffix link with word duck.

Function word

Function word is a word that is mainly used for expressing some grammatical relationships between other words in a sentence.

Example: (Such as preposition, or auxiliary verb) but, with, into etc.

Homograph

Homograph is a word that is same in written form (spelled alike) as another word but with a different meaning, origin, and occasionally pronounced with a different pronunciation

Example:  Bow for ship and same word bow for shooting arrows.

Homonym

Homonyms are the words that are spelled alike and have same pronunciation as another word but have a different meaning.

Example: Lead (noun) a material and lead (verb) to guide or direct.

Homophone

Homophones are the words that have same pronunciation as another word but differ in spelling, meaning, and origin.

Example: To, two, and too are homophones.

Hyponym

Hyponym is a word that has more specific meaning than another more general word of which it is an example.

Example: ‘Parrot’ is a hyponym of ‘birds’.

Legalism

Legalism is a type of word that is used in law terminology.

Example: Summon, confess, judiciary

Linker/ conjuncts

Linker or conjuncts are the words or phrase like ‘however’ or ‘what’s more’ that links what has already been written or said to what is following.

Example: however, whereas, moreover.

Loanword/ borrowed

A loanword or borrowed word is a word taken from one language to use it in another language without any change.

Example: The word pizza is taken from Italian language and used in English language

Metonym

Metonym is a word which we use to refer to something else that it is directly related to that.

Example: ‘Islamabad’ is frequently used as a metonym for the Pakistan government.

Monosyllable

Monosyllable is a word that has only one syllable.

Example: Come, go, in, yes, or no are monosyllables.

Polysyllable

Polysyllable is a word that has two or more than two syllables.

Example: Interwoven, something or language are polysyllables.

Rhyme

Rhyme is a type of word used in poetry that ends with similar sound as the other words in stanza.

Example; good, wood, should, could.

Synonym

Synonym is a word that has similar meaning as another word.

Example: ‘happiness’ is a synonym for ‘joy’.

different

dissimilar; unlike; separate and distinct

Not to be confused with:

diffident – hesitant to assert oneself; timid

Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

dif·fer·ent

 (dĭf′ər-ənt, dĭf′rənt)

adj.

1. Unlike in form, quality, amount, or nature; dissimilar: took different approaches to the problem.

2. Distinct or separate: That’s a different issue altogether.

3. Various or assorted: interviewed different members of the community.

4. Differing from all others; unusual: a different point of view.

adv.

In a different way or manner; otherwise: «Carol … didn’t know different until Elinor told her» (Ben Brantley).

---

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin differēns, different-, present participle of differre, to differ; see differ.]

---

dif′fer·ent·ly adv.

dif′fer·ent·ness n.

Usage Note: The phrases different from and different than are both common in British and American English. The British also use the construction different to. Since the 18th century, language critics have singled out different than as incorrect when used before nouns and noun phrases, though it is well attested in the works of reputable writers. Traditionally, from is used when the comparison is between two persons or things: My book is different from [not than] yours. Note that noun phrases, including ones that have clauses in them, also fall into this category: The campus is different from the way it was the last time you were here. The Usage Panel is divided on the acceptability of different than with nouns and noun phrases, with a majority finding several of these constructions unacceptable. In our 2004 survey, 57 percent rejected the use of different than with a gerund in the sentence Caring for children with disabilities in a regular child-care setting is not new and, in many cases, is not particularly different than caring for other children. Roughly the same percentage (55) disapproved of the construction with a noun phrase containing a clause in The new kid felt that the coach’s treatment of him was different than that of the other players who were on the team last year. Some 60 percent rejected the sentence New York seemed very different than Rome, where they’d been on good terms. There should be no complaint, however, when the object of comparison is expressed by a full clause: The campus is different than it was twenty years ago.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

different

(ˈdɪfərənt; ˈdɪfrənt)

adj

1. partly or completely unlike

2. not identical or the same; other: he always wears a different tie.

3. out of the ordinary; unusual

ˈdifferently adv

ˈdifferentness n

Usage: The constructions different from, different to, and different than are all found in the works of writers of English during the past. Nowadays, however, the most widely acceptable preposition to use after different is from. Different to is common in British English, but is considered by some people to be incorrect, or less acceptable. Different than is a standard construction in American English, and has the advantage of conciseness when a clause or phrase follows, as in this result is only slightly different than in the US. As, however, this idiom is not regarded as totally acceptable in British usage, it is preferable either to use different from: this result is only slightly different from that obtained in the US or to rephrase the sentence: this result differs only slightly from that in the US

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

dif•fer•ent

(ˈdɪf ər ənt, ˈdɪf rənt)

adj.

1. not alike in character or quality; differing; dissimilar.

2. not identical; separate or distinct: three different answers.

3. various; several: Different people told me the same story.

4. not ordinary; unusual.

[1350–1400; Middle English < Anglo-French < Latin]

dif′fer•ent•ly, adv.

dif′fer•ent•ness, n.

usage: Although it is frequently claimed that different should be followed only by from, not by than, in actual usage both words have occurred for at least 300 years and are standard in all varieties of spoken and written American English. From is more common today in introducing a phrase, but than is also used: New York speech is different from (or than) that of Chicago.Than is usually used to introduce a clause: The stream followed a different course than the map showed. In sentences of this type, when from is used instead of than, more words are necessary: a different course from the one the map showed. In British English to frequently follows different: The early sketches are very different to the later ones. different in the sense “unusual” is well established in all but the most formal American English: The décor in this theater is really different.

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

different

1. ‘different’

If one thing is different from another, it is unlike the other thing in some way.

The meeting was different from any that had gone before.

Health is different from physical fitness.

Many British people say that one thing is different to another. Different to means the same as different from.

My methods are totally different to his.

Be Careful!
Some people object to this use. In conversation and informal writing, you can use either different from or different to, but in formal writing it is better to use different from.

In American English, you can say that one thing is different than another. This use is often considered incorrect in British English, but it is sometimes the simplest possibility when the comparison involves a clause.

I am no different than I was 50 years ago.

2. ‘very different’

If there is a great difference between two things, you can say that one thing is very different from the other.

The firm is now very different from the way it was ten years ago.

Be Careful!
Don’t say that one thing is ‘much different’ from another.

If two things are quite similar, you can say that one thing is not very different from the other or not much different from the other.

I discovered that things were not very different from what I had seen in New York.

The new model is not much different from the old one.

3. ‘no different’

If two things are alike, you can say that one thing is no different from the other.

He was no different from any other child his age.

Be Careful!
Don’t say that one thing is ‘not different’ from another.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

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