The second is cognitive synonym. Cruse 1986, p. 270 defines cognitive synonyms as lexical items which have certain semantic properties in common.
Semantic mode is a term used in addressing these semantic properties which divided into the propositional mode and the expressive mode. The propositional
mode is expressed by the form of the sentence, if the sentence expresses a statement, question, command, exclamation etc. Whereas the meaning of
propositional meaning is determined by the truth condition uttered in the sentence. The truth condition does not play a role in the expressive meaning of lexical item.
Later Cruse 1986, p. 273 describes words are defined as cognitive synonyms if they share the propositional meaning but differ in their expressive modes.
The third is near-synonym. Cruse 1986, p. 285 states the third group of synonyms as plesionyms, whereas other experts Edmonds Hirts; 2002, p. 107;
Storjohann; 2009, p. 2140 refer to them as near-synonyms. Cruse 1986, p. 285 contrast near-synonym from cognitive synonyms since they express different truth
conditions in a given context. If two parallel structured sentences differ only in the use of the near-synonym, they are not mutually entailing. However, if the near-
synonyms stand in a hyponymous relation, they can be unilaterally entailed. In this case, one part of the near-synonyms can be asserted but it denies the other
part at the same time. Cruse 1986 gives examples to illustrate his assumptions: “It wasn’t foggy last Friday – just misty. He was not murdered, he was legally
executed.” Foggy and misty, as well as, murdered and executed are in hyponymous
relation, are close in meaning and can be accounted as near-synonyms not as
cognitive synonyms. The boundaries between near-synonyms and non-synonyms are rather fuzzy because with increasing semantic differences the near-synonyms
are converted into non-synonyms. Edmonds and Hirst 2002, p. 105 also stress the importance of observing the differences of near-synonyms. They emphasize
the implications, connotations and the speaker’s attitude which are added to the basic dictionary meaning of the words. For a particular communicative situation it
is crucial to use the adequate word which expresses precisely the meaning intended by the speaker and to find the right word. Near-synonym in contrast to
absolute synonyms are not identical in meaning therefore there must be some nuances in meaning which make them different.
1. Definitions of Forbid
There are two main definitions according to The Macmillian Dictionary MD entry of forbid. The first definition is not allowing to do something against
the rule or law. The second definition is to make something impossible or to prevent something from happening.
The Collins American Dictionary CAD defines three definitions of forbid. The first definition clearly mentions the word prohibit. It indicates that
those two words have a shared central meaning and as Cruse 1986, p. 270 said that those two words are in hyponymous relation, close in meaning and can be
accounted as near synonym. The second definition, The CAD also states the same definition as The MD which is to make impossible and prevent. The last definition
that CAD define is to command or to stay away from something and exclude.
The Merriam Webster Dictionary MWD has the same definition with the other Dictionaries. Forbid is described as to proscribe from or as if from the
position of one in authority and also prevent as if by an effectual command.
2. Definitions of Prohibit
The MD defines prohibit as to stop and prevent something from being done especially by making it illegal. Prohibit is defined as something related to
law and authority. The CAD and MWD state the same definition by mentioning the word forbid in their definition. They also state the word prevent in defining
prohibit.
3. Comparison of Definition
In terms of comparing the dictionary entries, the lexical items are commonly defined by using one or more near-synonyms of the word. The
following Table 2.1 illustrates this phenomenon. The first column states the near- synonym in question and the X in the following columns signify which near-
synonyms are used to define the word in the first column.
Table 2.1 Near-synonyms explicitly stated in the definitions Words
forbid prohibit
prevent forbid
X X
prohibit X
X
The table suggests that prohibit and forbid are defining each other. Forbid is defined by the word prohibit while prohibit is defined by the word forbid in the
dictionary. Regarding to the three online dictionaries, The MD, CAD and MWD, those two words share another lexical item in their definition which is prevent. As
Cruse 1986, p. 265 said that there are sets of words or lexical items which point
towards a special similarity called synonym. It appears that the word prevent also have a shared central meaning with prohibit and forbid. The word prevent is the
most frequently stated near-synonym in the definitions. This could indicate that the meaning of prevent is the most diverse, consequently and more
interchangeable. In order to have deeper understanding, the following is example of prevent which is lexical item of words prohibit and forbid shared.
[1] The cost of safety glass often prohibits its use in private buildings. According to The MD, CAD and MWD, the word prohibit in the example
is defined as to prevent something from happening or being done. Therefore prohibit in the example could be replaced by the word forbid as the near-
synonyms share the same lexical item which is prevent. Of course, the table is an overgeneralization but it helps to identify which
words of the group of near-synonyms might have a closer relationship and might be more synonymous and interchangeable. In the next step, the collocations of the
near-synonym are analyzed via the corpus research to verify these assumptions.
B. Quantitative Analysis of The Dictionary Entries of The Near-Synonyms
This qualitative analysis part consists of the outcome of the corpus study. First, the results of the overall frequency pattern of the near-synonyms are stated.
The second sub-chapter comprises the result of the analysis of the collocating nouns measured by MI-score are articulated. The previous result are compared,
interpreted and combined with the dictionary definitions. The last subchapter
