In the post about false friends, our friend Ravi made a comment about words within the same language that have different meanings based on context. That is indeed a good observation on homographs.
Homographs, deriving from the Greek words “homos” meaning ‘same’ and “graph” meaning ‘to write’, refer to words which are written identically but don’t share a meaning and are also pronounced differently. For example, the English word ‘minute’ is either pronounced /ˈmɪn.ɪt/, a noun referring to 60 seconds, or /maɪˈnuːt/, an adjective meaning ‘very small’.
Another example is the word ‘bass’:
- A type of fish, pronounced rhyming with ‘class’
- Low pitch, pronounced rhyming with ‘ace’
However, this definition of a homograph is valid only in languages like English, which are not syllabic. In Indian languages, which are syllabic in nature (meaning each written character is a syllable—a unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants), there is no question of pronouncing the identically spelt word differently. So, do homographs exist in Indian languages?
Or should we just modify the definition a bit for Indian languages? After all, when the concept of homographs exhibiting polysemy or ‘multiple meanings’ was used in object-oriented programming languages, the polysemic function isn’t pronounced differently. (Of course, there is a subtle difference between polysemy and homography, which I’ll talk about in the future.)
Going back to Indian languages, the words Ravi mentioned ‘aavi’ (ஆவி) and ‘annam’ (அன்னம்) are excellent examples of the extended definition of homographs in the Tamil language. ‘Aavi’ can mean either the vapor let out during evaporation or the soul or spirit of a person after death. I wonder if they’re indeed connected metaphorically, imagining the spirit as an almost invisible presence like vapor. Or is it the reverse, where vapor is seen as a part of the liquid leaving its liquid body?
However, ‘annam’ appears to have truly unrelated meanings. It either refers to cooked rice or to a swan.
Furthermore, it is possible that these words are not always of the same category. A word like ‘padi’ (படி) has multiple meanings: ‘to read’ (a verb), ‘step’ (a noun), and a Tamil measure equaling around 1344 ml. I still use a quarter ‘padi’ measuring cup daily to measure rice.
Homographs used in movies:
In literature and movies, authors and scriptwriters often employ homographs to add layers of meaning or create ambiguity and humour. In the Tamil movie ‘panchathanthiram,’ the characters Nirmala (played by Devayani) and Ram (played by Kamal Haasan) have a conversation:
- N: ‘Naan enni enni’ (I am counting/thinking…)
- R: ‘Thooka mathira saapiduriya?’ (The sleeping tablets?)
- N: ‘En Ganesha enni enni’ (Thinking of my Ganesh)
Using the homograph ‘enni’ (எண்ணி), which can mean ‘to count’ or ‘to think,’ in a creative way, the situation’s humour is enhanced. In fact, this movie can provide a masterclass on wordplay and the underlying linguistic concepts.
Another example is Nagesh in “Thiruvilaiyadal”: ‘Paar vendhe, ennaip paar vendhe.’ ‘Paar’ (பார்) means ‘world’ as well as ‘look’. So, he requests the God (king of the world) to look at him.
In advertisements, companies cleverly use homographs to catch attention and convey dual meanings, such as a shampoo brand claiming it will “clean” not only your hair but also your conscience.
In pop culture, song lyrics often play with homographs to add depth or create memorable lines. The Tamil poet and film lyricist Kannadasan was a master of wordplay. In the song ‘Parthen Sirithen’ (பார்த்தேன் சிரித்தேன்), from the movie Veer Abhimanyu, there are clever usages of homographs across words like ‘Malai then idhuvena malaiththen’ (மலை தேன் இதுவென மலைத்தேன்). ‘Malai’ (மலை) can refer to a mountain or it is the verb meaning ‘astound’.
Innumerable jokes exist using homographs (the extended definition.) A few are here:
- Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing!
- I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough dough.
- Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field!
Do you know of creative uses of homographs in your language, literature, or movies? Please share them here.
Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash
