The English Synonyms1、IntroductionEnglish has the largest vocabularies and synonyms in the world because it absorbed many different languages from various kinds of countries. As Baugh says, the richness of English in synonyms is largely due to the happy mingling of Latin,French and native elements.2、The origin of the English Synonyms2.1 As early as the Anglo-Saxon periodThere were many borrowing words from other countries in Europe,such as Latin ("street","mile"...),Greek("priest","bishop"...),Celtic("crag","bin"...),and Scandinavian languages ("law","egg","thrall"...) and so on.2.2 After the Norman ConquestA new kind of English language appeared,it called Norman English.The vocabulary doubled in that period because of the influx of French.French was widely used in the high society at that time in especial.For example, there were many words about eating:sugar,vinegar,boil,fry,roast and so on.About dressing,there were "garment", "robe", "mantle", "gown"and so on.About law,there were "plaintiff", "perjury" and so on. About religions,there were "convent", "hermitage", "chaplain", "cardinal" and so on. About social status,there were also some words to be expressed ,such as "prince", "count", "major" and so on.Ancient British people adopted a plenty of French vocabularies to express their feelings,behaviors and living. However,there were many words having same meanings between French vocabulary and the pre-existing Anglos-Saxon vocabulary,so a lager number of synonyms appeared. When the people wanted to say something,they can use the pre-existing Anglo-Saxon vocabulary.For example,"cure" and"heal',"table"and"board","poignant"and"sharp","labor"and"work","mirror"and"gla ss", "assemble"and"meet", "power"and"might" etc.2.3 In the RenaissanceA mass of Latin and Greek vocabularies brought into the English language because of the rapid development of the art and culture.Meanwhile,with the rapid expansion of diplomacy activity in the Crusades and the expansion of the oversea adventure in the Elizabethan period.,the cope of activity for British began to expand,it also stimulated the rapid development of the culture and language.In the sixteen century in Britain,people began to use the magnificent Greek and Latin vocabulary to talk with others,such as "aureate （华丽的）" "Inknom（文懦的）".There were a typical example:Shakespeare had written a sentence in a play ,"multiudinous seas incamadine".In Renaissance period, many classical borrowing words had been a history,but a few parts of these words was used in a specific scene,such as "hebdernodary" means "weekly","gressorial" means "having to do with walking" . 2.4 In modern timesBecause of the trade,war and diplomacy activity,the using rang of English was expanded to the Europe , North America,Indian,Australia and Africa. Many languages in different countries started to affect the development of modern English,more and more synonyms appeared in the English. For examples:languages wordsDutch tub, spool, deckSpanish cherry, armadaAmerican Indian Languages squash,toboggan,hickory,grenade East Indian language cashmere, punch, shampooAfrican veldt,trekItalian soprano,casinoMexican chocolate,tomatoAustralian kangaroo,billabongJapanese kimono,rickshawMalay amok,sarongEspecially for the highly developing of America, American English was recognized and respected in the world.A plenty of synonyms appeared in British English andAmerican English. There are some examples as following.American Britishhelp servantsidewalk pavementelevator liftrailway railroaddruggist chemistcheckers dr-aughtsgasoline petroltruck of a car boot of a car【.郭厚文，刘慧宝，2000:78】..But what is the English synonyms?3、The definition of the English synonymsIn Oxford advanced learner's English-Chinese dictionary【AS Hornby,2009:2050】,synonyms is defined as word or expression that has the the same meaning or nearly the same meaning as anther in the same language。

However,in Webster’s International Dictionary【Webster，1890】,synonyms is defined as a word having the same or almost the same meaning as some other, that is, one of a number of words that have one or more meanings in common, but that differ either in the range of application of those meanings or in having other senses not held in common .For example,"statesman"and "politician"means political people,but they have different emotions.4、The Types of the English SynonymsSynonyms can be classified into two major groups:absolute synonyms and relative synonyms.A) Absolute synonymsAbsolute synonyms are aways known as complete synonyms.Absolute synonyms are identical in meaning in all its aspects,both in grammatical meaning and lexicalmeaning,,including conceptual and associative meaning.Synonyms of this type are interchangeable in any content without the slightest alteration in connotative,affective and stylistic meaning.Synonyms is very rare in natural languages and some people think that these synonyms are not existent.However,it is wrong to think that synonyms is nonexistent.They maybe found in scientific terms which are precisely delimited and neutral in affective and stylistic meaning.There are examples: "spirants" and"fricative" in phonetics,"word-formation" and "word-building" in lexicology, "scarlet-fever" and "scarlatina" in medicine.B) Relative synonymsRelative synonyms are also called near-synonyms which are similar or nearly the same in denotation,but embrace different shades of meaning or different degrees of a given quality.【张维友,1999:104】E.g.:"smile" and "laugh'.'Smile" means change one's facial expression by spreading the lips,it is silent.But for"laugh" ,you must have a loud voice when you laughing. 5、.The discrimination of synonyms5.1 In degree of a a given quality or in shade of meaning .Some synonyms have the same denotative sense with difference in degree of intensity.There are some examples:A) "Small", "tiny", "diminutive", "minute", "microscopic", "miniature" are synonyms,but they denote different degrees of smallness.○1"Small" applies to things whose magnitude is determined by number,size,capacity,value,or significant. E,g:"She doodled in her small room.","He had no choice but to kip in that small inn."○2"Tiny" goes further than diminutive in suggesting extreme littleness or a smallness out of proportion to most things or in comparison with all other things.E,g.:"The drying figs sweat tiny drops of moisture.","I live a tiny world".○3"Diminutive" not only carries a stronger implication of divergence from a normal or usual size or scale than small,but it often carries the meaning of extremely or even abnormally.E.g.:"They stuffed the stove in the basement of the Houses of Parliament full of this diminutive lumber and went home from work at the end of the day.","To others, the diminutive Type 022s look like mere juicy targets for American helicopters and submarines."○4"Minute" means extremely small on an absolute scale,usually a microscopic scale,.E.g.:"I remembered in minute detail everything that had happened","Our lawyer went over the contract in minute detail."○5"Microscopic" applies to what is so minute that it is literally observable only under a microscope,such as "All the microscopic available states, that is, if I take an individual particle and I say where it can be, all those states have the same energy.","It's the electricity formed, for instance, when water vapor collects on microscopic particles of dust and other material in the air."○6"Miniature" applies to what is complete in itself but is built,drawn,or made on a very small scale,such as"in circus parades,Tom Thumb and his menage rode together in miniature red coach,drawn by two small ponies","We may thus picture an atom as a miniature solar system." B)"Anger","rage","fury","indignation" and "wrath" are synonyms,.○1"Anger",the most general term,describes merely the emotional reaction,the emotion of word itself has not deep intensity.For example,"Tom is easily aroused to anger."His criticism stems from his anger at the restrictions.".○2"Rage"means a state of extreme anger,such as"Rage overcame her and she tore her hair.","With 9/11 in America, people could ask, ‘Who are they?’ and could pour their rage out on someone else, ”he said."○3"Fury", the strongest word in the group, means state of violent mentalagitation,for example,"Now, though, it turns out that the rising fury might not have been caused by the terrorist enormity, after all.","According to reporters in the courtroom, he sat looking down in front of him as his victims gave vent to their fury." ○4"Indignation" is a feeling of righteous anger,for example,"Indignation with the feckless Greeks will be great.","This indignation is of course grounded in France's two proudest traditions: the revolution of 1789 and the Resistance.".○5"Wrath" means intense anger (usually on an epic scale),but now it is limited in use to literature and figures of speech,such as"For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.","John Steinbeck: East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath".C)Another group of synonyms with shades of meaning is"refuse","reject",and "decline".They all mean to turn away something or somebody by not consenting to accept, receive or consider it or him.But they also have some differences.○1"Decline" often uses in respect to invitation .Such as "If the host does not do this, the people may already have something planned and therefore have to decline the invitation.","Or do you decline?","We have to decline your proposal of acting as our sole agency."○2"Reject" stresses a throwing away,a discarding or abandoning, it implies a refusal to have anything to do with person or thing.For example,"I reject these choices.","If you do not want to do that, reject them completely.","I say we should reject that little game of who’s busier than whom."○3"Refuse" is more positive,often implying decisiveness,even rude.E,g."Then why do you refuse me?","The little girl looked so pitiful; I hadn't the heart to refuse.","You can refuse me instead of cheating."【张韵斐，1986：199】D)"Clam","tranquil","serene","placid","peaceful","halcyon" mean quiet and free from all that disturbs or excites.○1"Clam" is primarily applied to sea or weather.E,g."as men for ever temp' rate,calm and wise."○2"Tranquil" implies a more settled composure,a more inherent quiet.E.g."farewell the tranquil mind.farewell content."○3"Serene" suggests a lofty and unclouded tranquility.E.g."regions mild of calm and serene air,above the smoke and stir of this dim spot which men call Earth."○4"Placid" connotes lack of excitement and suggests an unruffled and equable aspect or temper or even sometimes,in derogatory use,a hint of stupidity.E.g."she is as placid as a cow."○5"Peaceful" implies repose or the attainment of undisturbed tranquility.E.g."I am grown peaceful as old age tonight."○6"Halcyon" implies an almost magic or golden calmness especially of weather or of spirit.E.g."soft blue stone ,the color of robins eggs,or of the sea on halcyon days of summer."【Webster，1984：124】5.2 In affective meaning."Little" and "small" are synonyms .If any emotion is associated with the designation,we must choose "little",such as "a little boy",but if you want to express "poor small boy,",you should use "small"There are many synonyms having the same denotative meaning but different in effective meaning.For example"firm"and "pigheaded"."Firm" means marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable,it often refers to things."There are a sentence:"I don't think the chair is firm enough to stand on."But "pigheaded" means obstinate and stupid,it often refers to person .E.g."He was too pigheaded to listen to reason.". We can not say"the chair is too pigheaded to sit.",it is wrong.5.3 In stylistic meaningThere are many synonyms in our daily life which have same denotative meaning but different stylistic meaning.Such as"to chide" and "to berate" both means censure severely or angrily,but the former is a literary language,the latter is a neutral language.For example,it is suitable to say"The King chided Si Lancelot for his unfaithfulness."But it is ridiculous to use it in the following sentence:I hate to chide you,son,but you must not stay out so late. Another group is "Man" and "guy",the former can refer to male and be not female.but the latter is an informal term for a youth or man,it can refer to female as plural.E.g.:"Hey guys,your dress is very beautiful."But you can not say"Hey ,man, your dress is very beautiful."6、ConclusionSynonyms are very common in our daily life.W e can use them better by knowing them.We can also reduce our mistakes of using words and improve our using level.References:[1] AS Hornby, Oxford advanced learner's English-Chinese dictionary(2009), Oxford University Press[2] Webster, Webster's New Dictionary of Synonym (1984) ,Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.A.[3] 郭厚文，刘慧宝,《英语词汇学历史成因及考略》(2000),赣南师范学院，江南大学[4] 张维友,《英语词汇学》(1999),外语教学与研究出版社[5] 张韵斐,《现在英语词汇学概论》(1986), 北京师范大学出版社。