Hypernyms and Hyponyms: Vocabulary Building

Book excerpt: What are “Hypernyms and Hyponyms”? HYPERNYM ---- [Hyper- Over; -Onym: Name] Hypernym is a word that denotes a general category. Hypernym [singular] | Hypernyms [plural] Examples: game, bird, etc. Hypernym is also called ‘Generic term’, ‘Super-ordinate’, ‘Super-type’, or ‘Superset’. Derived terms related to ‘Hypernyms’: Hypernymous Words that are hypernyms are said to be hypernymous. Hypernymy The state of being a hypernym is called hypernymy. HYPONYM ---- [Hypo- Under; -Onym: Name] Hyponym is a word that denotes a particular item from a general category. Hyponym [singular] | Hyponyms [plural] Examples: football/hockey/cricket, eagle/peacock/sparrow, etc. Hyponym is also called ‘Subordinate’, ‘Subtype’ or ‘Subset’. Derived terms related to ‘Hyponyms’: Hyponymous Words that are hyponyms are said to be hyponymous. Hyponymy The state of being a hyponym is called hyponymy. In the above examples, ‘game’ is the hypernym (or supertype) of ‘cricket’, ‘football’ and ‘hockey’. ‘Cricket’, ‘football’ and ‘hockey’ are hyponyms (or subtypes) of ‘game’. Similarly, ‘bird’ is the hypernym (or supertype) of ‘eagle’, ‘peacock’ and ‘sparrow’. ‘Eagle’, ‘peacock’ and ‘sparrow’ are hyponyms (or subtypes) of ‘bird’. IMPORTANT NOTE 1: The relationship between hypernym and hyponym is termed as ‘is-a relationship’. Pattern: Hyponym + is-a/an + Hypernym Example 1: Hypernym: game Hyponym: cricket, football, hockey Cricket is a game. Football is a game. Hockey is a game. Example 2: Hypernym: bird Hyponym: eagle, peacock, sparrow Eagle is a bird. Peacock is a bird. Sparrow is a bird. Hypernyms and Hyponyms -- A Hypernym / Hyponym -- Example A1 -- Hypernym -- acid Hyponyms -- amino acid / ascetic acid / ascorbic acid / boric acid / carbonic acid / citric acid / hydrochloric acid / hydrofluoric acid / lactic acid / nitric acid / nucleic acid / oxalic acid / phosphoric acid / sulfuric (sulphuric) acid Hypernym / Hyponym -- Example A2 -- Hypernym -- account Hyponyms -- budget account / checking account / current account / deposit account / savings account Hypernym / Hyponym -- Example A3 -- Hypernym -- affix Hyponyms -- prefix / suffix Hypernym / Hyponym -- Example A4 -- Hypernym -- African Hyponyms -- Algerian / Congolese / Egyptian / Kenyan / Liberian / Libyan / Moroccan / Senegalese / Sudanese / Ugandan Hypernym / Hyponym -- Example A5 -- Hypernym -- algae Hyponyms -- anabaena / cowstail / cuvie / dabbylocks / featherweed / flans / grapestone / gulf weed / honeyware / laver / liadhaig / murlins / nostoc / pod weed / pompon / oscillatoria / rockweed / seaweed / thong weed / watersilk Hypernym / Hyponym -- Example A6 -- Hypernym -- age [a particular period of history Hyponyms -- bronze age / iron age / new age / stone age Hypernym / Hyponym -- Example A7 -- Hypernym -- agent Hyponyms -- double agent / estate agent / land agent / press agent / secret agent / special agent / travel agent Hypernym / Hyponym -- Example A08 -- Hypernym -- alloy Hyponyms -- amalgam / billon / brass / bronze / iron / magnalium / megallium / nichrome / scandium / solder / steel / stellite Hypernym / Hyponym -- Example A09 -- Hypernym -- amphibian Hyponyms -- frog / salamander / toad Hypernym / Hyponym -- Example A10 -- Hypernym -- angle Hyponyms -- acute angle / adjacent angle / exterior angle / interior angle / obtuse angle / reflex angle / right angle