Generic term

Under a generic term , also superordinate term and in linguistics hyperonym (from ancient Greek ὑπέρ hypér 'about' and ὄνυμα ónyma 'name'), one understands a term that subsumes or classifies a number of other words in their meaning . The opposite is the sub-term (also hyponym in linguistics ).

Examples:

• Vehicle is a generic term for the words automobile , motorcycle , tram and truck .
• Garment is a generic term for the words sweater , pants , blouse , shirt and underpants .
• Apostle is a generic term for the biblical people Simon Peter , John , Philip , Thomas and Judas Iscariot .

Depending on the direction in which you are looking, a certain term can be both a generic and a sub- term : Mammals are a generic term for dogs and a sub-term for animals .

The search for suitable generic terms is often part of intelligence tests or recruitment tests .

Generic term in logic

Within logic , two completely different meanings of the word “generic term” can be distinguished. Firstly, "generic term" denotes a term that includes "sub-terms"; secondly, it is a syllogistic term .

Generic term in the term hierarchy

A term is referred to as a generic term (or: genus ) when “sub-terms” (or: species ) fall under it. For example, the generic term “living beings” includes the sub-terms “human” and “animal”. Since all people and animals fall under the term “living beings”, it is said that it has a larger scope than the term “man”, which only includes all people but not animals.

Already Plato has by his method of diairesis erected conceptual hierarchies and rules specified under which they are set up. If the subordination relationship of the concepts is marked by connecting lines, a pyramid-like scheme results. An example of the history of philosophy is the conceptual hierarchy in the form of the tree of Porphyry .

Generic term (e.g. living being)

Sub-term 1 (e.g. human)

Sub-term 2 (e.g. animal)

The fact that a (sub) term “falls” under a (general) term must be strictly differentiated from the “fall” of an object under a term. Otherwise, wrong conclusions will be drawn.

• Example: All individual people fall under the term [human] and thus also the term [living being], but the term [human] is not a living being
• Example: When used more precisely, “rare” is not a property of an object, but a predicate that only applies to terms (i.e. an albino is not rare, but the term [albino] is seldom the case (instantiated)).

For the first time Giuseppe Peano made this symbolically clear: Being an element is expressed by an ε, the inclusion of sub-terms in generic terms in Peano with “C”.

Generic term in syllogistics

In logic, the generic term ( Latin terminus maior ) is the term in the syllogism that appears as a predicate in the final clause.

Example:

Generic term in linguistics (hyperonym)

The relationship of a hyperonym to a hyponym is called hyperonymy (also: superordination ), the reverse hyponymy (also: subordination ). The term was introduced by Lyons . Terminologically, it can be asked whether such a terminology is not an unnecessary duplication of the conceptual logic and the reference point "* onym *" (from Greek ὄνυμα ónyma = name) is not misleading, since it is not about names or words, but lexemes (terms, Meanings) should go.

Hyperonymy is a central semantic relation in semantic networks , taxonomies and thesauri .

The relationship of hyperonymy is hierarchical. It therefore creates “hierarchies for all parts of speech in the German vocabulary” () and enables taxonomies that are an important part of semantic networks.

Hyperonymy should not be confused with the hierarchical part-whole relationship (example: house is not a hyperonym for door , but the door is part of the whole house). If you ask about the delimitation, you will be referred to different procedures: On the one hand, there is a one-sided implication for the relationship of hyperonymy (example: every car is a means of transport, but not every means of transport is a car). Secondly to test formulations as an X is a type Y , X, and other Y , no X is better than Y .

The following relationships also exist between hyperonym and hyponym:

• the scope ( extension ) of the hyponym is smaller than the scope of the hyperonym. Every dog ​​is a mammal, but not every mammal is a dog.
• the conceptual content ( intension ) of the hyponym is greater than the conceptual content of the hyperonym. The hyponym has at least one more semantic characteristic than the hyperonym.
• The predication of an object as A (hyponym) does not imply the predication of the object as B (hypernym), but vice versa.
• Example: Family - Family members : the daughter is a family member, but not a family.

The relationship between hyperonymy and hyponymy is relative: a hyponym can be hyperonym to another hyponym:

• Example: car is hyponym for means of transport and hyperonym for racing car , etc.

However, this is neither “upwards” nor “downwards” without limits: “upwards” one reaches the highest categories at some point , “downwards” there are no longer any lexical specifications.

The choice of a generic term is usually not absolutely specified, i. H. a word can be hyponym to different hyperonyms. The choice of the hyperonym depends on "semantic preliminary decisions".

• Example: warship as a hyponym for ship or weapon system .

Due to, among other things, economic, technical developments, etc., lexical hierarchies are "flexible to a certain extent".

Quasi-hyponyms (Lyons) can also occur if an objectively required, at least possible hyperonym is not lexicalized, i.e. there is a semantic gap .

• Example: For example, father and mother have the hyperonym Eltern , while there is no German hyperonym for aunt and uncle .

Hyperonymy / hyponymy occurs mainly with nouns, but can also occur with verbs.

See also

• Terminus
• semantic relation
• Variety plural

literature

Linguistics:

• Volker Harm: Introduction to Lexicology. WBG, Darmstadt 2015 (Introduction to German Studies), ISBN 978-3-534-26384-4 , pp. 71–73.
• John Lyons: Linguistic Semantics. An Introduction. CUP, Cambridge 1996.

Web links

Wiktionary: Generic term  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Wiktionary: Hyperonym  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Linguistics:

• Helpful link list for linguistic terms and dictionaries

Footnotes

1. ↑ Renate Wahrig-Burfeind (Ed.): True. Illustrated dictionary of the German language . ADAC-Verlag, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-577-10051-6 , pp. 404 .
2. ↑ Gottfried Gabriel : Generic term. In: Joachim Ritter u. a. (Ed.): Historical dictionary of philosophy . Volume 6, Schwabe, Basel 1972, Col. 1021-1022, here: Col. 1021.
3. ↑ Günther Patzig: Introduction. In: Gottlob Frege: Logical investigations. 3. Edition. 1986, ISBN 3-525-33518-0 , p. 11.
4. ↑ According to Tugendhat / Wolf: Propädeutik 1983, p. 132: one cannot say: "the term [cattle] is an animal"
5. ↑ Günther Patzig : Introduction. In: Gottlob Frege : Logical investigations. 3. Edition. 1986, ISBN 3-525-33518-0 , p. 11.
6. ↑ Günther Patzig: Introduction. In: Gottlob Frege: Logical investigations. 3. Edition. 1986, ISBN 3-525-33518-0 , p. 11.
7. ↑ Kunze, Claudia: Semantic Relationtypen in GermaNet - In: Langer / Schnorbusch (ed.): Semantik im Lexikon - Tübingen: Narr, 2005, p. 161 (166)
8. ↑ Kunze, Claudia: Semantic Relationtypen in GermaNet - In: Langer / Schnorbusch (ed.): Semantik im Lexikon - Tübingen: Narr, 2005, p. 161 (170)
9. ↑ Volker Harm: Introduction to Lexicology. WBG, Darmstadt 2015 (Introduction to German Studies), ISBN 978-3-534-26384-4 , p. 72 with additional information
10. ↑ See also Rehbock, Helmut: Hyperonymie. In: Glück, Helmut (ed.): Metzler Lexikon Sprache. 4th edition. Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 2010.
11. ↑ Volker Harm: Introduction to Lexicology. WBG, Darmstadt 2015 (Introduction to German Studies), ISBN 978-3-534-26384-4 , p. 73 with additional information
12. ^ According to Volker Harm: Introduction to Lexicology. WBG, Darmstadt 2015 (Introduction to German Studies), ISBN 978-3-534-26384-4 , p. 73 with additional information
13. ^ According to Volker Harm: Introduction to Lexicology. WBG, Darmstadt 2015 (Introduction to German Studies), ISBN 978-3-534-26384-4 , p. 73.
14. ^ According to Christiane Wanzeck: Lexicology. Description of words and vocabulary in German. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2010 (UTB 3316), ISBN 978-3-8385-3316-2 , p. 67.
15. ↑ Volker Harm: Introduction to Lexicology. WBG, Darmstadt 2015 (Introduction to German Studies), ISBN 978-3-534-26384-4 , p. 73.