HOMONYMS

Abstract

This article presents an extensive and in-depth investigation of homonymy as a central phenomenon in lexical semantics and general linguistics. Homonyms, defined as linguistic units that share identical or similar forms while differing in meaning, are examined from theoretical, historical, structural, and functional perspectives. The study explores the origins of homonymy, its classification into various types, and its interaction with related phenomena such as polysemy, synonymy, and lexical ambiguity. Special emphasis is placed on the role of context, discourse, and pragmatic factors in interpreting homonymous expressions.