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POLYSEMOUS WORDS IN RUSSIAN AND ENGLISH LANGUAGES
Nurımbetova Malika Karamatdin qızı
2nd year student of the Faculty of Foreign Languages of KSU
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15811402
Abstract.
Polysemy—the coexistence of multiple meanings for a single word—presents
both a rich area of linguistic inquiry and a significant challenge in translation, lexicography,
and language learning. This article provides a comparative semantic analysis of polysemous
words in Russian and English, focusing on their structure, development, and function.
Through detailed examples and facts, the paper highlights similarities and differences in how
polysemy manifests in the two languages, and discusses implications for translation,
cognition, and communication.
Keywords:
polysemy, semantics, lexical ambiguity, Russian language, English language,
translation, linguistics.
Introduction.
Polysemy, from the Greek poly (many) and sema (sign), refers to the
phenomenon where a single word has multiple related meanings. It is a universal feature of
natural languages and a central issue in lexical semantics. In both Russian and English,
polysemy enriches vocabulary, supports linguistic creativity, and reflects cognitive processes.
However, it also causes difficulties in translation, language acquisition, and artificial
intelligence applications. This article aims to explore the semantic nature of polysemous
words in Russian and English. By analyzing selected examples and comparing their meanings
and usage, we identify patterns of semantic development and consider their implications for
communication and translation.
To begin with, it is important to distinguish polysemy from homonymy. Polysemy
involves one word form with multiple related meanings, whereas homonyms are different
words that happen to have the same form but unrelated meanings. For example in English the
word “head” can refer to the div part (the head of a person), the leader (head of a
department), or the top part (head of a page). In Russian “ключ” can mean a key (to open a
lock), a solution (to a problem), or a spring (water source). These examples demonstrate that
polysemy arises due to metaphorical or metonymic extensions of meaning. It reflects how
speakers the world and draw analogies across contexts [3, 7].
In both English and Russian, polysemy typically evolves through two primary semantic
mechanisms:
Metaphorical Extension nvolves transferring a word’s meaning based on perceived
similarity. For instance:
English: “leg” can refer to a human limb, part of a table (table leg), or a stage in a journey
(a leg of the trip).conceptualize
Russian: “рука” (hand) can mean an actual limb, помощь (help or aid), or влияние
(influence), e.g., “долгая рука закона” (the long arm of the law) [1, 133-163].
Here, a meaning shift occurs based on association or contiguity. For example:
English: “crown” meaning the physical crown and metaphorically the monarchy.
Russian: “стол” can refer to a table and also an office or administrative div, e.g., загс
стол (registry office).
These mechanisms are crucial to understanding how polysemy develops and why it can
be challenging in cross-linguistic contexts.
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Let us now consider specific words in Russian and English and compare how their
polysemous structures operate.
Table-1. Comparative Examples of Polysemous Words
English
Word
Meanings
Russian
Equivalent
Meanings
Bank
financial institution; edge of a
river
Банк / берег
financial institution;
riverbank
Light
illumination; not heavy
Свет / лёгкий
illumination; easy or not
heavy
Table
furniture; data arrangement
Стол / таблица
furniture; chart
Mouse
animal; computer device
Мышь
animal; computer device
Foot
div part; measurement unit;
bottom
Нога / ступня
div part; rarely used in
other senses
The word mouse demonstrates how technological development leads to new meanings
that are often borrowed across languages. Meanwhile, table in English has acquired the
abstract meaning of data organization, which Russian distinguishes more clearly with
таблица.
Polysemy introduces significant complexity in both translation and language acquisition.
When translating polysemous words, context is essential to avoid errors. For example:
English: “He left his glasses on the table.”
“Glasses” here refers to eyewear, not drinking vessels.
Russian translation: Он оставил свои очки на столе.
Russian: “Он зарабатывает хорошую копейку.”
Literally: “He earns a good kopeyka.”
Figuratively: “He earns good money.”
English equivalent: “He makes a good living.”
Students learning either language may struggle with polysemous words due to
confusion between literal and figurative meanings. Moreover, dictionary entries often list
dozens of meanings, making memorization difficult without practical context [4, 860-870].
It is also crucial to consider cultural and cognitive dimensions. In Russian, many
polysemous words are influenced by historical and bureaucratic systems. For instance, “рука”
is often associated with power and influence, reflecting cultural views on authority. In English,
commercial and technological innovation has driven the emergence of polysemy. Words like
“cloud”, “stream”, and “cookie” have developed entirely new meanings in the digital era.
Moreover, cultural connotations affect how meanings are interpreted. While English might
use “heart” metaphorically to symbolize emotion (“a kind heart”), Russian speakers may use
“душа” (soul) for similar concepts, reflecting differing cultural-linguistic metaphors.
Polysemy is a significant issue in computational linguistics and artificial intelligence.
Natural Language Processing (NLP) systems must distinguish among word senses to interpret
text accurately. For instance, machine translation engines often struggle with polysemous
terms. Without clear disambiguation, a sentence like “He broke the bank” could be
misinterpreted literally instead of idiomatically (“Он обанкротил банк” vs. “Он потратил
все деньги”). Lexicographers use WordNet (for English) and RuWordNet (for Russian) to
structure word senses and improve semantic clarity in digital dictionaries.
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Conclusion.
In conclusion, polysemous words in Russian and English reflect deep
semantic, cognitive, and cultural processes. While the phenomenon enriches communication
and supports creative language use, it also poses challenges in learning, translation, and
computational processing. By analyzing the mechanisms of metaphor and metonymy and
exploring comparative examples, we gain better insight into how meaning is constructed,
extended, and understood across languages. Understanding polysemy is thus essential for
linguists, educators, translators, and developers of intelligent language systems. Further
research should focus on corpus-based semantic analysis, cross-linguistic variation, and
applications in multilingual NLP tools.
References:
Используемая литература:
Foydalanilgan adabiyotlar:
1.
Andrejeva, A. A. (2025). The Polysemy of Agentive Suffixes in Slavic: Toward a Cognitive
Semantic Analysis. Jezikoslovni zapiski, 31(1), 133-163.
2.
Khabibullaevna, D. M. (2022). Polysemy of Linguistic Terms in English, Russian and
Uzbek Languages. International Journal on Integrated Education, 5(6), 568-572.
3.
Sultanova, U. (2025). Semantic Analysis of English Polysemous Words. Pubmedia Jurnal
Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, 2(3), 7-7.
4.
Zimareva, O. L., & Pesina, S. A. (2019). Cluster Analysis of Polysemous Word Semantic
Structure in the Light of Invariant Theory. RUDN Journal of Language Studies, Semiotics and
Semantics, 10(4), 860-870.
5.
Каримбаева, А. (2025). Contextual disambiguation of polysemous words in English and
Russian: a comparative corpus-based study. Лингвоспектр, 4(1), 1180-1184.
