Vocabulary: Polysemous Words (Homonyms)

Polysemous Words are Equivocal Terms. An equivocal term is a word which sound the same and spell the same but have two or more than two different meanings. Such words are called अनेकार्थक शब्द (anekarthak sabda) in Nepali. For example, the word ‘Ring’ is a Equivocal Term, with two meanings ‘Ornament’ and ‘Phone Noise’.

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कर (kar) 

  1. Tax
  2. Insistence      
  3. Hand    
  4. Elephant’s Trunk

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हात (haat) 

  1. Hand    
  2. Role in something

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कलम (kalam)

  1. Pen  
  2. Pruned Stalk    
  3. Line

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कल (kala)

  1. Fight  
  2. Apparatus  
  3. Water Tap

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खोटो (khoto)

  1. Defective Banknote  
  2. Tree Sap    
  3. Something with a mark

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अर्थ (artha)

  1. Meaning  
  2. Riches  
  3. Reason

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साल (saal)

  1. Year  
  2. Pine  
  3. Umbilical Cord

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लाई (lai)

  1. A postposition  
  2. Aphid

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चुक (chuk)

  1. A very sour additive made by boiling lemon juice    
  2. Violation

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तान (taan)

  1. A form of the verb ‘to pull’  
  2. A singing quality    
  3. Fly Shuttle/ an apparatus used to weave

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पर्दा (parda)

  1. Curtain    
  2. A verb form of ‘Parnu’  
  3. Veil; Net

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दर (dar)

  1. Rate (cost)  
  2. Food eaten before Teej

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टीका (tika)

  1. A thing worn on the forehead    
  2. The 10th Day of Dashain

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पत्र (patra)

  1. Newspaper    
  2. Page  
  3. Leaf  
  4. Layer/ Coating

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पुतली (putali)

  1. Butterfly      
  2. Pupil (eye)      
  3. Toy

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हार (haar)

  1.  Defeat        
  2.  Garland  

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साँचो (saacho)  

  1. Truth    
  2. Key 

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तार (taar)

  1. Wire  
  2. A verb form of ‘To cross’  
  3. Telegram

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EXAMPLE USE:

साँचो (sacho)

Truth: सधै साँचो बोल्नु पर्छ (sadhai sacho bolnu parcha)

= We should always speak the truth.

Key: साँचो कहाँ छ ? (sacho kaha cha)

= Where is the key?

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कर (kar)  

Tax : समान किन्दा कर लाग्छ (saman kinda kar laagcha)

Tax is applied in eveything we buy.

Insistence : यो काम गर्छु नि! कर लगाई राख्नु पर्दैन (yo kaam garchu ni! Kar lagai rakhnu pardaina)

= I will do it okay! No need to keep insisting!

Hand : करले काम गर्छ (kar le kaam garcha)

= The hand does the work.

Elephant’s Trunk: कर कति लामो छ! (kar kati laamo cha)

= The elephant’s trunk is so long!

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