Polysemy (from the Greek πολυσημεία = multiple meaning) is the capacity for a sign to have multiple meanings. This is a pivotal concept within social sciences, such as media studies and linguistics. In semiotics, a sign is generally defined as, ...something that stands for something else, to someone in some capacity. ... The social sciences are a group of academic disciplines that study the human aspects of the world. ... Media studies is a social science that studies the nature and effects of mass media upon individuals and society, as well as analysing actual media content and representations. ... Linguistics is the scientific study of human language, and someone who engages in this study is called a linguist or linguistician. ...

For Dick Hebdige (1979: 117) polysemy means, "each text is seen to generate a potentially infinite range of meanings," making, according to Middleton, "any homology, out of the most heterogeneous materials, possible. The idea of signifying practice — texts not as communicating or expressing a pre-existing meaning but as 'positioning subjects' within a process of semiosis — changes the whole basis of creating social meaning" (1990: 165). A media theorist, most commonly associated with the study of universal subcultures, and the presentation of rebellion against the mainstreams of society. ... Richard Middleton is Professor of Music at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in Newcastle upon Tyne. ... Semiosis is a term introduced by Charles Peirce. ...

Polysemes

A polyseme is a word or phrase with multiple, related meanings. Homophonous words are judged to be polysemous if their meanings are related, and since the vague concept of relatedness is the test for polysemy, judgements of polysemy can be very difficult to make. Because applying pre-existing words to new situations is a natural process of language change, looking at words' etymology is helpful in determining polysemy. Some apparently unrelated words share a common historical origin, however, so etymology is not an infallible test for polysemy, and dictionary writers also often defer to speakers' intuitions to judge polysemy in cases where it contradicts etymology. Etymology is the study of the origins of words. ...

There are several tests for polysemy, but one of them is zeugma: if one word seems to exhibit zeugma when applied in different contexts, it is likely that the contexts bring out different polysemes of the same word. If the two senses of the same word do not seem to fit, yet seem related, then it is likely that they are polysemous. The fact that this test again depends on speakers' judgements about relatedness, however, means that this test for polysemy is not an infallible test for polysemy, but is rather merely a helpful, conceptual aide. Zeugma (from the Greek word ζεύγμα, meaning yoke) is a figure of speech in which one word applies to two others in different senses of that word, and in some cases only logically applies to one of the other two words. ...

The difference between homonyms and polysemes is subtle. Lexicographers define polysemes within a single dictionary entry. Homonyms (in Greek homoios = identical and onoma = name) are words which have the same form (orthographic/phonetic) but unrelated meaning. ...

Examples of polysemes

• Mole

1. a small burrowing mammal
2. consequently, there are several different entities called moles (see the Mole disambiguation page). Although these refer to different things, their names derive from 1.
   e.g. A Mole (espionage) burrows for information hoping to go undetected.

• Bank

1. a financial institution
2. a synonym for 'rely upon' (e.g. "I'm your friend, you can bank on me"). It is different, but related, as it derives from the theme of security initiated by 1

However: a river bank is a homonym to 1 and 2, as they do not share etymologies. It is a completely different meaning.

• Milk
  • The verb milk (e.g. "he's milking it for all he can get") derives from the process of obtaining milk.

Mole may mean: Mole (animal), a small burrowing mammal Mole (espionage), a spy working under deep cover Mole (sauce), a Mexican sauce made from chile peppers and other spices, including chocolate Mole (skin marking), a small spot of darkened pigment on the skin Mole (unit) is the SI unit for... A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation and works within his nations government. ... A bank is an institution that provides financial service, particularly taking deposits and extending credit. ... Look up Synonym in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Synonyms (in ancient Greek syn συν = plus and onoma όνομα = name) are different words with similar or identical meanings and are interchangable. ... A glass of cows milk Milk most often means the nutrient fluid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals. ...

References

• Middleton, Richard (1990/2002). Studying Popular Music. Philadelphia: Open University Press. ISBN 0335152759.
  • Hebdige (1979).
• O'Sullivan, et.al. (1994) Key Concepts in Communication and Cultural Studies. London: Routledge. ISBN 0415061733