So, you want to know more about these things called "words." What are they? When did they come into being? And why in the deuce are there so damned many of them? And, for the love of God, what do they all mean?

It might surprise you to know that, for the most part, they all mean different things. Of course, many words mean the same thing. Many, many mean nearly the same thing, and then there are those that are spelt the same, look the same, taste generally the same, may well share a parent or have the same colour eyes but mean entirely different things.

"What's this?" you say. "Trickery. Sorcery!" "The product of some medieval wizardry or political treachery plotted by King James and later carried out by Samuel Johnson." None of these is the case.

But, as anyone who has ever attempted to speak English knows (excepting of course, the faeries, to whom English comes instinctively), the way of our own mother tongue is rough indeed, not unlike a cat's tongue. With every place along the path, another opportunity for flailing misstep, turned ankle or worrisome complaining by your fellow journeymen. That is why speaking a few words of English in the hopes of getting something across to someone is such an exciting and ambitious initiative, and why so few are courageous enough to make the accent to utilising this complex tool we call the English Language and why reading and writing it remains the exclusive Province of monks, royalty, lawmakers and the nobility.

But, getting back to those sneaky, masked highwaymen of words that pose as other words, only to reduce to fools listeners lacking the capacity for divining nuance - these words that are spelt the same and pronounced the same but have different meanings are called "homonyms" ("same name"). They are the "transformers" of words, little toy robots that can detach their meanings and substitute new ones at a moment's notice, depending on which robot enemy may be threatening them.

Being totally ignorant on the topic, I did a bit of research on these fabulous, metal-hewn creatures, and it wasn't long before my head was swimming with befuddlement and I was tearfully crying out for mummy. But tenacity won out and garnered this little snippet, which parted the clouds and allowed me the sweet relief of momentary clarity:


Re: Words spelled the same,but have different meanings

Author: Charles (---.proxy.aol.com)Date: 11-15-04 19:18

HOMONYM: One of two or more words having the same sound and often the same spelling but different meanings. Examples: quail (cower), and quail (bird) fair (appearance), fair (county fair), and fair (reasonable).

HOMOPHONE: One of two or more words pronounced the same but different in meaning, origin, and sometimes spelling. Examples: cite, sight, and site; sea and see; your and you're; bow and bough.

HOMOGRAPH: One of two or more words spelled alike but different in origin, meaning, and sometimes pronunciation. Examples: bow of a ship, a bow and arrow, and a bow (deference/manners).

HETERONYM: One of two or more words that are spelled the same but that differ in pronunciation and meaning. Examples: bass (voice) and bass (fish); polish (shine) and Polish (from Poland); tear (rip) and tear (from eye). Clifton Press

(from this thread on wordmyth.net: http://www.wordsmyth.net/live/phorum/read.php?f=8&i=336&t=336)


I also learned that "homonym" ("same name") is the general term and "homophone" ("same sound"), "homograph" ("same spelling"), "heteronym" and others are subcategories or types of homonyms. Also, "heteronym" seems to be a subcategory of "homograph."

Here is list of 302 homophones. Remember, homophones may or may not differ in spelling.

Now, one question remains about these wily little deconstructible toy robots. What about the group of words whose pronunciation (syllable stressed) alters with their function. Ex: finance/finance, ally/ally, combat/combat, research/research. Would one refer to these as heteronyms, a special group of heteronyms called by a more specific term or a brand new category?

My understanding is that in such words when the stress falls on the first syllable the word is functioning as a noun (I have a good deal of RE-search to do before my questions will be answered.) And when the second syllable is stressed it has taken the verb form (I said I need to re-SEARCH it; damn it, man; pay attention!)

Note: This question stems from the sickening abuse by news readers of "combat." "Medical researchers are trying new ways to COM-bat breast cancer." Eewwwwww! If they're saying it right, somebody shoot me.)