Wordmorphy

phrontister · 2013-09-19 18:11:18

Hi all!

Here's a word-morphing game in which the object is to transform a starting word into a target word via a series of changes by using any of the following, any number of times: synonym, homophone and homograph.

Definitions:
synonym: A word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word in certain contexts.
I understand synonym to apply to a word that can be substituted for another word (eg, in a sentence) without changing the context - either at all or hardly - so that what is expressed can be understood exactly or nearly exactly the same way irrespective of the word (synonym) choice.
homophone: A word that has the same sound as another but differing from it in meaning.
homograph: A word that has the same spelling as another but differing from it in meaning.
Some dictionaries group homophone and homograph under homonym.

Game example:
GREAT -> INTERROGATE

GREAT
GRATE
GRILL
INTERROGATE

Explanation:
GREAT to GRATE = homophone
GRATE to GRILL = synonym
GRILL to INTERROGATE = homograph on GRILL first, then synonym

If you're the first to solve a new puzzle please post one of your own to keep the show on the road...but only one to which you already have a solution.

The huge scope offered by the rules will mean that there could be many solutions to each puzzle, so even after a puzzle is solved you may like to explore further solution options - eg: shorter, cleverer or more interesting - and post them.

This game can be quite difficult and challenging, so it's probably best, at least initially, to post puzzles with a shortish solution chain (say, no more than 7 words, including the start and target words).

I'll start...

CANYON -> REPAIR

Last edited by phrontister (2013-10-02 17:35:35)

MathsIsFun · 2013-09-19 23:00:44

Canyon
Gorge
Bolt (eat fast)
Fix
Repair

(probably not a good answer though)

phrontister · 2013-09-20 01:03:46

Hi MIF,

All good, I reckon...I like it!

To 'bolt' is to 'eat very fast' (ie, to 'gorge') and also to 'fasten securely' (ie, to 'fix' in place), and so 'bolt' works well in both directions. The others are good too.

I had:
CANYON
GORGE
JAM (to cram or stuff food in...given on Thesaurus.com as a synonym for 'gorge')
FIX (ie, 'being in a fix', as in 'being in trouble' or 'in a jam')
REPAIR

Have you got a puzzle for us?

Last edited by phrontister (2013-09-24 15:01:44)

MathsIsFun · 2013-09-20 16:46:09

Thanks!

Preserve -> Support

(Uses a word from above)

anonimnystefy · 2013-09-20 21:56:39

Might be a bit of a stretch, but:

Preserve
Keep
Prevent
Help
Support

MathsIsFun · 2013-09-21 09:54:42

Good try ... but prevent->help is a large jump isn't it?

anonimnystefy · 2013-09-21 12:07:43

"I can't help it" is somewhat similar to "I can't prevent it".

MathsIsFun · 2013-09-21 22:55:03

OK! Your turn.

phrontister · 2013-09-22 13:41:57

I found a shorter option (I think):

PRESERVE
CONSERVE
MAINTAIN
SUPPORT

MathsIsFun wrote:

(Uses a word from above)

I wanted to use jam in PRESERVE->JAM->JAMB->SUPPORT but changed my mind because I thought that, in the sense of 'preserved food' (which is the only sense I could think of to tie these two words together), jam and preserve probably weren't alike enough:

- in jam, the fruit comes in the form of fruit pulp or crushed fruit;
- in preserves, the fruit comes in the form of chunks in a syrup or a jam.
(from http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/question84.htm)

And so I guess you'd be more likely to refer to 'jams and preserves' instead of using the words interchangeably (more or less)...not that I really know what I'm talking about, because I've only ever eaten my mum's preserves and jams, and not made them!

But maybe that's all being too picky, or maybe there's some other sense I've missed...

I understand synonym to apply to a word that can be substituted for another word (eg, in a sentence) without changing the context - either at all or hardly - so that what is expressed can be understood exactly or nearly exactly the same way irrespective of the word (synonym) choice...all of which is just another way of saying what I said in post #1, I suppose.

Last edited by phrontister (2013-09-22 21:47:14)

MathsIsFun · 2013-09-23 09:50:43

Your solution is excellent!

Yes ... jam was the key, and preserve is an OK synonym for me.

phrontister · 2013-09-23 11:13:42

Thanks! There's lots of scope for multiple answers in this game...and also regarding what is or isn't considered to be a synonym. I very nearly used PRESERVE->JAM.

I'd hoped for a puzzle from stefy - which he could always post at any time because we don't have to limit ourselves to just one open puzzle at a time - but here's one that has an interesting twist to it...which I'll explain after an answer is found.

DUE->FIX

auyeungyat · 2013-09-25 01:19:37

Very...Brain-strechting...
DUE
TIME
CLOCK
FIX

Last edited by auyeungyat (2013-09-25 03:01:11)

phrontister · 2013-09-25 01:58:38

Hi auyeungyat,

I'd say that CLOCK->CLOCK-REPAIRMAN and CLOCK-REPAIRMAN->FIX are both too big a stretch for the rules, but if you'd omitted CLOCK-REPAIRMAN I reckon you'd have a solution!

That would change the ending to CLOCK->FIX. Do you see how that would work?

Agnishom · 2013-09-25 02:08:57

I do not

phrontister · 2013-09-25 02:51:34

Hi Agnishom,

There are a couple of fairly well-known (in certain unsavoury quarters) slang expressions that go something like 'I'm really gonna clock him one' and "I'm gonna fix him good". They're very similar, both threatening to make mincemeat of someone on the receiving end.

So in that sense of assaulting someone, 'clock' and 'fix' are synonymous.

Last edited by phrontister (2013-09-25 02:58:24)

phrontister · 2013-09-25 03:07:25

Hi auyeungyat,

I had...

DUE
RIGHT (in the sense of 'expected reward', something that is your 'due' is your 'right')
FIX ('fix' something to make it 'right')

phrontister wrote:

but here's one that has an interesting twist to it...which I'll explain after an answer is found

I was referring there to the different pronunciation of 'due': British/Aussie English = "dew"; American English = "do" (see howjsay.com).

So from 'due' you could have:
Br/Aus.E. = DUE->DEW->etc
A.E. = DUE->DO->etc

Got a puzzle for us?

Last edited by phrontister (2013-09-25 04:33:41)

phrontister · 2013-09-26 21:28:32

Here's one:

EXECUTE -> VIEWED

auyeungyat · 2013-10-02 00:08:31

EXECUTE
DO(to execute=to do)
RESEARCH(Do something need to research)
VIEW(view documents=research something)
VIEWED(past tense of view)

barbie19022002 · 2013-10-02 01:18:25

I didn't understand the puzzle...
how to do it..?

phrontister · 2013-10-02 13:54:26

Hi barbie19022002,

In my first post I set out the rules for the game and gave an example of how to play it. If there's something there that you don't understand just let me know and I'll try to help you with it.

An excellent source for finding synonyms is thesaurus.com.

Homophone.com is possibly the best source for homophones. It has an a - z search function, but some of their lists don't align well and may be a little confusing at first. Clicking on a word will take you to its definition at Merriam-Webster.com.

Any comprehensive dictionary is a good source for homographs.

I don't want to make this sound too daunting for anyone, but Wordmorphy is language-specific and can be trickier for people whose first language isn't the one the game is played in. That could also make it a good learning tool for that language, though.

Last edited by phrontister (2013-10-03 22:35:40)

phrontister · 2013-10-02 18:25:22

Hi auyeungyat,

Good try! I can't give it to you, though (sorry).

EXECUTE->DO is fine (synonyms).

However, I think the others stretch the rules too much. No pairs are homophones or homographs, so the question is only about whether or not they are synonyms.

DO->RESEARCH (Do something need to research)

The meanings of these two words are too different for them to be synonymous. Yes, they both involve doing something, but, compared to DO, RESEARCH has too specific a meaning - eg, to search into (a matter or subject); to investigate or study closely.

DO, particularly in the sense of RESEARCH, needs an object (ie, to do something), whereas RESEARCH doesn't necessarily. eg, you might 'do a research paper' or 'do some research'.

I doubt that we could find a context in which the meaning of both words are the same, or nearly the same.

RESEARCH->VIEW (view documents=research something)

I can't see them as synonyms, for the same kind of reasoning as with the previous pairing.

VIEW->VIEWED (past tense of view)

VIEWED is only an inflection of the base word (it is not another word as such), and therefore is not a synonym of VIEW. The change of tense kills it as a synonym too.

Last edited by phrontister (2013-10-05 12:34:21)

Math Is Fun Forum

#1 2013-09-19 18:11:18

Wordmorphy

#2 2013-09-19 23:00:44

Re: Wordmorphy

#3 2013-09-20 01:03:46

Re: Wordmorphy

#4 2013-09-20 16:46:09

Re: Wordmorphy

#5 2013-09-20 21:56:39

Re: Wordmorphy

#6 2013-09-21 09:54:42

Re: Wordmorphy

#7 2013-09-21 12:07:43

Re: Wordmorphy

#8 2013-09-21 22:55:03

Re: Wordmorphy

#9 2013-09-22 13:41:57

Re: Wordmorphy

#10 2013-09-23 09:50:43

Re: Wordmorphy

#11 2013-09-23 11:13:42

Re: Wordmorphy

#12 2013-09-25 01:19:37

Re: Wordmorphy

#13 2013-09-25 01:58:38

Re: Wordmorphy

#14 2013-09-25 02:08:57

Re: Wordmorphy

#15 2013-09-25 02:51:34

Re: Wordmorphy

#16 2013-09-25 03:07:25

Re: Wordmorphy

#17 2013-09-26 21:28:32

Re: Wordmorphy

#18 2013-10-02 00:08:31

Re: Wordmorphy

#19 2013-10-02 01:18:25

Re: Wordmorphy

#20 2013-10-02 13:54:26

Re: Wordmorphy

#21 2013-10-02 18:25:22

Re: Wordmorphy

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