Abstract:
“Homophonic synonymy” is one of the varied relationships between sound and sense in the Chinese language. In addition to “homophonic synonymy”, we have also three other cases, namely, “homophony”, “homography”, and “difference both in sound and in sense”. The “homophonic synonyms” take only a small proportion in Chinese words, and most of them are identical in primary meaning but different in extended meaning. Thus, attention needs to be paid to re-investigation of the function of “homophonic synonymy” in Chinese study, which is worth enough concern but not over-exaggeration.
