Synchronic analysis of "rare"?

Subject:Synchronic analysis of "rare"?
Date:Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:37:28 -0500
Look: Are "rare" (= infrequent) and "rare" (= lightly cooked)
*synchronically* the same word?

Why can't we say, synchronically speaking, that "infrequent" is the
word's literal meaning, and that phrases like "a rare steak" are the
result of a special idiomatic use of "rare"? How are we supposed to
tell synchronic homonyms from synchronic idiomatic word usages?

- Dan
--
Daniel G. McGrath
Binghamton, New York
e-mail: dmcg6174[AT]gmail[DOT]com




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