in reply to Re^3: Some Insights from a Traveler Between Languages
in thread Some Insights from a Traveler Between Languages

By the way, is there difference between a homograph and polymorphism?

Several. For one thing, a homograph is not necessarily also a homophone (though it can be). Also, the different versions of a homograph may be different parts of speech in some cases; as far as I am aware, polymorphism keeps the polymorphic thing as the same part of speech. Furthermore, the idea behind polymorphism, if it's done correctly, is that there is supposed to be a logical connection or parallel between the different versions of it, a way in which, although slightly different, they are "the same"; this is sometimes botched, but it's *supposed* to be there; homographs have no such qualms.

Homographs like "wind" and "fly" and "record", wherein the meanings are related, are not the nasty ones, IMO. Situations like "that" (which is used as a relative pronoun, as a demonstrative pronoun or adjective, or as a subordinating adverb, and, worst of all, is frequently elided) are the rough ones. Perl as far as I am aware does not have any such pitfalls as that; even the weirdness surrounding pieces of punctuation (notably, commas and curly braces) has nothing on "that".


"In adjectives, with the addition of inflectional endings, a changeable long vowel (Qamets or Tsere) in an open, propretonic syllable will reduce to Vocal Shewa. This type of change occurs when the open, pretonic syllable of the masculine singular adjective becomes propretonic with the addition of inflectional endings."  — Pratico & Van Pelt, BBHG, p68
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