autohyponymy

== English == === Etymology === By surface analysis, auto- +‎ hyponymy, or, by surface analysis, autohyponym +‎ -y. === Noun === autohyponymy (uncountable) (semantics, linguistics) The quality or state of being an autohyponym; the semantic relation between a sense of a term (word) with another sense of the same term. Hypernyms: hyponymy, polysemy < colexification Coordinate term: autohypernymy ==== Usage notes ==== Autohyponymy and autohypernymy are counterparts, two sides of the same coin. The reason linguistics can make a distinction whereby any given instance is said to instantiate one and not the other is that the terms are defined such that whichever sense of the given word can be judged to be the primary sense governs the direction toward the other. For example, if the all-sexes sense of the word dog is judged to be the primary sense, then the male-specific sense (cohyponymous with bitch) is said to exhibit autohyponymy. The analogous relationship for automeronymy and autoholonymy is also true. ==== Related terms ==== autohyponym cohyponym, cohyponymy comeronym, comeronymy hypernymy, hyponymy