Hypernyms and Hyponyms: Vocabulary Building

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Education & Teaching, Teaching, Language Experience Approach, Study Aids, ESL, Foreign Languages

• Author: Manik Joshi
• ISBN: 9781310631146
• Publisher: Manik Joshi
• Publication: August 10, 2014
• Imprint: Smashwords Edition
• Language: English

What are “Hypernyms and Hyponyms”?

HYPERNYM ----
[Hyper- Over; -Onym: Name]
Hypernym is a word that denotes 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 particular item from 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 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:
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