poliszémiás

Poliszémiás is a term used in linguistics to describe words that have multiple related meanings. Unlike homonyms, which have the same spelling and pronunciation but entirely different meanings, polysemous words share a common semantic core. For example, the word "bank" can refer to a financial institution or the edge of a river. These meanings are related, as both derive from an original concept of a "bench" or "raised place." The distinction between polysemy and homonymy can sometimes be blurry, and the interpretation of a word's meaning often depends on its context. Linguists study polysemy to understand how language evolves and how meaning is constructed. The development of new meanings from existing ones is a common process in language.