Wiktionary:Semantic relations
There are several different kinds of semantic relations and at least the following ones are relevant to Wiktionary. Terms that are semantically related to a given term can be included both at the term’s page and at a Wikisaurus page.
| Relation | Description | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Synonymy | Each listed synonym denotes the same as this entry. | ====Synonyms==== |
| Antonymy | Each listed antonym denotes the opposite of this entry. | ====Antonyms==== |
| Hypernymy | Each listed hypernym is superordinate to this entry; This entry’s referent is a kind of that denoted by listed hypernym. | ====Hypernyms==== |
| Hyponymy | Each listed hyponym is subordinate to this entry; Each listed hyponym’s referent is a kind of that denoted by this entry. | ====Hyponyms==== |
| Meronymy | Each listed meronym denotes part of this entry’s referent. | ====Meronyms==== |
| Holonymy | Each listed holomym has this entry’s referent as a part of itself; this entry’s referent is part of that of each listed holonym. | ====Holonyms==== |
| Troponymy | Each listed troponym denotes a particular way to do this entry’s referent. | ====Troponyms==== |
| Coordinate term | Each listed coordinate term shares a hypernym with this entry. | ====Coordinate terms==== |
| Otherwise related | Each listed “otherwise related” term semantically relates to this entry. | ====See also==== |
General
So you have a word that is semantically related to another word? You want to add it to Wiktionary?
Before you do that consider this:
- Are you sure anybody would really find it useful?
- If not forget about it.
- Doesn’t this really belong somewhere else?
- Perhaps one of our sister projects including but not limited to Wikipedia and Wikispecies would be a more appropriate place?
- Please read Wiktionary:Criteria for inclusion for what belongs here and not.
- Perhaps one of our sister projects including but not limited to Wikipedia and Wikispecies would be a more appropriate place?
- Should this really be on either the page for the first or the page of the second word?
- Perhaps this belongs in the appendix?
- Perhaps a category should function an intermediate?
- Perhaps some other word or words should function as an intermediate?
Transitivity
Some of the relations are marked as transitive. Note that a word can only serve as a transitive link if both of the other words relates to the same meaning.
See also
- Wiktionary:Syntactic relations
Synonymy
- Definition: Each listed synonym denotes the same as this entry.
- Properties: symmetric and reflexive
- Section:
====Synonyms====
Synonymy is a symmetric and reflexive relation.
Examples
- pretty and attractive are synonyms
- sick and ill are synonyms
Usage
===Synonyms=== * [[synonym]]
Antonymy
- Definition: Each listed antonym denotes the opposite of this entry.
- Properties: symmetric
- Section:
====Antonyms====
Antonymy is a symmetric relation.
Examples
Usage
===Antonyms=== * [[antonym]]
Hypernymy
- Definition: Each listed hypernym is superordinate to this entry. This entry’s referent is (one of) the kind(s) of things each hypernym refers to.
- Properties: transitive
- Section:
====Hypernyms====
Hypernymy is a transitive relation.
Examples
- animal is a hypernym of mammal (mammals are animals); mammal is a hypernym of dog (dogs are mammals)
- plant is a hypernym of flower which is a hypernym of tulip
- red is a hypernym of scarlet, vermilion, carmine and crimson
Usage
===Hypernyms=== * [[hypernym]]
Hyponymy
- Definition: Each listed hyponym is subordinate to this entry. Each hyponym refers to a specific kind of the thing described by this entry.
- Properties: transitive
- Section:
====Hyponyms====
Hyponymy is a transitive relation.
Examples
- dog is a hyponym of mammal (dogs are among the various animals which are mammals); mammal is a hyponym of animal
- tulip is a hyponym of flower which is a hyponym of plant
- scarlet, vermilion, carmine and crimson are hyponyms of red
Usage
===Hyponyms=== * [[hyponym]]
Meronymy
- Definition: Each listed meronym denotes part of this entry’s referent.
- Properties: transitive
- Section:
====Meronyms====
Meronymy is a transitive relation.
Examples
- bark is a meronym of tree (bark is part of what makes up a tree); tree is a meronym of forest
- elbow is a meronym of arm which is a meronym of body
Usage
===Meronym=== * [[meronym]]
Holonymy
- Definition: Each listed holonym has this entry’s referent as a part of itself; this entry’s referent is part of each listed holonym.
- Properties: transitive
- Section:
====Holonyms====
Holonymy is a transitive relation.
Examples
- forest is a holonym of tree (forests contain trees); tree is a holonym of bark
- body is a holonym of arm which is a holonym of elbow
Usage
===Holonyms=== * [[holonym]]
Troponymy
- Definition: Each listed troponym denotes a particular way to do this entry’s referent.
- Properties: transitive
- Section:
====Troponyms====
Troponymy is a transitive relation.
Examples
- to trim and to slice are troponyms of to cut
- to drown and to poison are troponyms of to kill
- to crucify and to hang are troponyms of to execute
Usage
===Troponyms=== * [[troponym]]
Coordinate term
- Definition: Each listed coordinate term shares a hypernym with this entry.
- Properties: symmetric and reflexive
- Section:
====Coordinate terms====
Most coordinate terms should not be added to this section. They should be added as categories instead. Only words that don’t belong in any other sections and are strongly related should be here.
Examples
- man and woman are coordinate terms since they share human as hypernym
- Frenchman and Englishman are coordinate terms since they share nationality as hypernym
- cat and dog are coordinate terms since they share several hypernyms. Among them pet, animal and mammal and vertebrate
Usage
[[Category:Category of shared hypernym]]
- or
===Coordinate terms=== * [[coordinate term]]
- Definition: Each listed “otherwise related” term semantically relates to this entry.
- Section:
===See also===
If you don’t know exactly how a word is semantically related to the word you are trying to define please add to this section. However, since almost all words are semantically related to each other on some abstract level, please use your own judgement on whether somebody possibly would find it useful.
Note: Many editors also put inline sister-project links (e.g. {{PL:books}}), as well as examples of a term's referent (e.g. images at head) in the See also section.
Usage
===See also=== * [[related term]]
Note that for etymologically related words (in the same language), the header ====Related terms==== should be used – see Wiktionary:Etymology.