|The Simple English Wiktionary has a definition for: synonym.|
Synonyms can be nouns, verbs, adverbs or adjectives, but both words must be of the same part of speech. That means, only a noun can be a synonym of another noun, only a verb can be a synonym of another verb, and so on.
Taxonomy[change | change source]
History[change | change source]
The word "synonym" dates back over 500 years, to late Middle English. The term is derived from Latin from the Greek word sunōnumon, neuter form (used as a noun) of the adjective sunōnumos, from sun- meaning 'with' + onoma meaning 'name' in the Greek language.
The meaning of the word has remained unchanged for all these centuries. There is even a saying, going back to 1892, "Once a synonym, always a synonym". The word has been taught to generations of English-language students and is commonly known by the general public. Many other languages have a similar word for "synonym" with the same or similar spelling.
Related pages[change | change source]
References[change | change source]
- "Synonym - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary", June 2011, webpage: MW-syn.
- "Definition of synonym from Oxford Dictionaries Online", OxfordDictionaries.com, June 2011, web: OD-syn.
- Science, John Michels, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1892, page 220, web: BG-AJ.