THE NATURE OF SYNONYMY: NEUTRALIZATION OF SEMANTIC DIFFERENCES, INTERCHANGEABILITY AND ZONES OF SEMANTIC VIBRATIONS

Abstract

Background. There are various approaches to research synonyms. Among them, particular attention is paid to the concepts of neutralizing semantic differences and interchangeability of synonyms. Both are aimed at identifying synonyms and determining the possibilities of their semantic convergence? because the dictionary interpretation of synonyms, allowing you to see the positions of neutralization of the semantic differences of synonyms, and the minimum context, and allowing you to determine the positions of interchangeability of synonyms, are aimed at establishing the fact of synonymous relations between words. However, an analysis of the detailed contextual conditions for the use of synonyms shows that semantic neutralization and interchangeability are practically unattainable phenomena. In place of the expected neutralization, are observed semantic fluctuations that determine the semantic content of the context and formed zones of semantic vibrations. Purpose. The article is devoted to the definition and differentiation of the concepts of neutralization of semantic differences, interchangeability and zones of semantic vibrations, revealing the nature of synonymous relations. Results. The term “zones of semantic vibrations” allows us to consider synonyms not only as units approaching, but also as units moving away from each other. This process reveals the multidirectional nature of synonymic relations. At the end of the study, it was concluded that neutralization and interchangeability are terms that define the convergence of synonyms, while vibration zones is a term that defines their distance. The term “zones of semantic vibration” must be used to identify semantic dynamics that change from context to context, and the semantic distance between synonyms. The boundaries between two lexical units, often represent points of contact that form transitional zones, from the boundaries of one unit to the boundaries of another unit. Thus, it should be argued that synonyms that have a unique lexical meaning are not separated from each other by clear boundaries. Under certain conditions, they seem to gradually pass into each other, which makes it possible to postulate the principle of semantic continuity.