Pseudopolysemy

Pseudopolysemy is a term used in linguistics to describe cases where a single lexical form appears to have multiple senses that are not semantically interconnected in a way that would ground genuine polysemy. The concept is not universally standardized; some scholars prefer phrases like false polysemy or describe the phenomenon as a case of homonymy or cross-linguistic calques. In practice, pseudopolysemy draws attention to when apparent senses lack a single core semantic anchor.

Distinguishing pseudopolysemy from true polysemy relies on examining coherence among senses. True polysemy implies a shared cognitive core or a linked set of meanings that flow from a common conceptual field. Pseudopolysemy, by contrast, involves senses that appear related in form but diverge in core meaning, etymology, or domain of use. Indicators include large semantic distance between senses, divergent historical origins, disparate syntactic patterns, or one sense stemming from a loan, a name, or a reanalysis that lacks a stable semantic connection to the others.

Common mechanisms underlying pseudopolysemy include: true homonymy, where two unrelated words converge in form; borrowing or calquing in which senses are introduced from another language and later integrated with limited semantic cohesion; metaphorical extension that relies on surface similarity without a shared underlying concept; and dictionary conflation or diachronic reinterpretation that reclassifies distinct senses as a single polysemous set.

The concept has implications for lexicography, natural language processing, and semantic theory. Analysts typically examine etymology, cross-linguistic evidence, and historical dictionaries to determine whether an apparent polysemy is genuine or pseudo. Because the term is debated, some scholars treat pseudopolysemy as a cautionary label rather than a fixed category.