EXERCISE: A.Word.A.Day--heteronym

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Original Posting: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 05:01:46 -0500

For those who would like to stretch your writing...

take one (or more) of the following heteronyms (bow, row, sow, bass, buffet, deserts, dove, entrance, lead, moped, unionized, wind, and wound).

Mix well, and write a poem, a story, an essay, a what-have-you, that uses (and potentially amuses) the twain.

enjoy...

Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 01:50:54 -0500
From: Wordsmith <wsmith@wordsmith.org>
To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--heteronym

heteronym (HET-uhr-uh-nim) noun

   A word that has the same spelling as another word but with a different
   pronunciation and meaning.

   In the following poem, each end-word is heteronymic:

   Listen, readers, toward me bow.
   Be friendly; do not draw the bow.
   Please don't try to start a row.
   Sit peacefully, all in a row.
   Don't act like a big, fat sow.
   Do not the seeds of discord sow.

   In a pure heteronymic pair, the two words must be etymologically
   unrelated, as in bass, buffet, deserts, dove, entrance, lead, moped,
   unionized, wind, and wound.

This week's theme: Naming the nyms, by Richard Lederer.

............................................................................
A full cup must be carried steadily. -English proverb

Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/heteronym.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/heteronym.ram