Do we Find Absolute Synonymy in the English Language? - An Analysis of Internet-Texts Dealing with the 11th September 2001

Julia Schubert

• Publisher: GRIN Verlag
• Year: 2002
• Edition: 0
• eBook ISBN:
  9783638145992
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: European Literary Collections
• Index: Literature

Seminar paper from the year 2002 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 2+ (B), Martin Luther University (Institute for Anglistics/American Studies), course: Proseminar, language: English, abstract: This term paper on synonymy has the aim to answer one certain question: Do wefind absolute or strict synonymy in the English language? Unfortunately, there isnot enough working time to have a look at the whole language or at least a largepart of it. Therefore, I decided to choose several texts dealing with the same topic, which precisely is the 11th September 2001 (the terror attacks against the UnitedStates of America). This seems to be a good basis for finding a lot of synonyms orsynonymous expressions.The working process is structured as follows: First, it is necessary to define theterm "synonymy" because there are two different opinions about it. On the onehand, some linguists are convinced that there is no total synonymy at all and onthe other hand, another group of linguists states that such a kind of synonymyexists but it occurs only rarely. A further look on those definitions will provide aclearer distinction.Then the main work has to be done. There are many texts available, which willserve to find a satisfying answer to the stated question. These texts, which I foundin the Internet, are from daily American and British newspapers, speeches ofpoliticians, eyewitness reports, TV reports, political magazines and privateInternet discussions. Certainly, these texts and articles contain a lot of material towork with.Finally, the last part of the termpaper will represent the results of this process –the justification of total synonymy or its rejection. [...]