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Also known as hypernym, this semantic relationship is important to language learning. In cases where the superordinate is a common word such as as colour and animal, it is routinely taught. But being a common word is not the only reason to include a word. Less frequent words are important too.
See Wikipedia's Umbrella term also.
Superordinates are used in definitions
The four words in the table below show shortened definitions from various online dictionaries. The words in bold are the superordinates.
Missing superordinates
author
nature
Learning Activities
Brainstorming and personalisation ideas here.
What is your favourite Y?
Categorise these Xs in Y columns.
What is the missing word in these corpus lines? Delete words from left or right of and other.
Look at the lexical chains in a text and indicate the superordinates
Write definitions of words. Find example sentences containing both X and Y.
1. A molded rectangular block of clay baked by the sun or in a kiln until hard and used as a building and paving material.
2. An object shaped like such a block: a brick of cheese.
3. Informal. A helpful, reliable person.
1. a type of paint that you mix with water.
2. a picture painted using watercolours
1. a. The part of speech that expresses existence, action, or occurrence in most languages.
b. Any of the words belonging to this part of speech, as be, run, or conceive.
2. A phrase or other construction used as a verb.
a large bird with a long tail that is hunted for sport and food
When we ask students to define a word, it is a fairer request when we provide them with the superordinate. This is routinely done in such activities are putting words in headed columns, and finding the odd word out.
Superordinates disambiguate
Words have meaning potential. As soon as the context is taken into account, the relevant meaning of a word is understood.
Wordnet displays so-called inherited hypernyms of words in this fashion. This sample show all the words "above" count: a count is a nobleman. A nobleman is an aristocrat. An aristocrat is a leader, etc.
Superordinates are cohesive devices in text.
We don't avoid repeating a word by using a synonym, as synonyms mean something different. However we do use superordinates. Look at the relationship between car and vehicle in these three examples.
… upon her getting out of the car, they manoeuvred the vehicle so as to ….
… she was relieved to find no other vehicle there. No alien car, no McCausland.
… masked men overtook her in this stolen car and forced her to stop and then rammed her vehicle from behind with another car.
Superordinates occur ....
It so happens that we use superordinates when we have identified one thing and then we want to say that ere are more of that type of thing. In these lines from the British National Corpus, the value of and other + superordinate is clear. In most cases, the first item on the right is a superordinate of the item on the left.
Click on this thumbnail for more examples with and other events.
We often say that X is my favourite Y where is a superordinate.
Examples again from the British National Corpus.
I've already mentioned the KnitRadar, which is my favourite accessory.
Coffee is my favourite ice-cream flavour -- theirs was one of the best I have had.
Llangloffan is my favourite of the harder Welsh cheeses.
After reading, writing is my favourite activity.
I am now looking forward to the Potteries Marathon which is my favourite race because there is so much local support to spur you on.
Scrum-half is my favourite position.
And you're right, blue is my favourite colour.
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