Criteria for Distinguishing Between Polysemy and Homonymy with Borrowed Components in the Ukrainian Language

Abstract

The proposed study confirms the validity of using a set of criteria to distinguish between homonymy and polysemy in Ukrainian-language word complexes with borrowings. After outlining the theoretical foundations of homonymy and polysemy and analyzing the works of foreign and Ukrainian linguists with the focus on assessing the state of the problem and the criteria they propose, the authors conclude that there is no consensus on this issue. The distinction between homonymy and polysemy at the lexical level depends on various factors, including the research material, the current state of lexical theory, and the approaches adopted by certain linguists, which determine the diversity of the proposed criteria for distinction. At the same time, the authors note that an approach in which a set of criteria is relevant has become increasingly common, with each criterion complementing, clarifying, and specifying the lexical status of a particular phenomenon. The validity of such a set of criteria is demonstrated by the example of homocomplexes with a borrowed component, which, after adaptation to the Ukrainian language, have entered the lexical fund of the Ukrainian language. The manifestation of the corresponding features is traced for each criterion, and a hierarchy of the significance of each of them is established.