THE POLYSEMANTIC NATURE OF ENGLISH INSURANCE TERMINOLOGY

Аннотация

The evolving landscape of insurance has generated a sophisticated lexicon with multiple overlapping layers of meaning. In English, key insurance terms often exhibit polysemy – where one word has several related meanings – thus posing interpretive challenges for policyholders, language learners, and industry professionals alike. This article explores the linguistic dimensions of polysemous insurance terms, drawing on theories of applied linguistics and semantics to demonstrate how historical, cultural, and legal shifts expand the conceptual reach of such terminology. By analyzing examples of English insurance discourse, the article provides insight into the implications of polysemy for cross-cultural communication, policy interpretation, and industry-specific documentation. Recommendations are offered for translators, educators, and insurance professionals, emphasizing the importance of context-bound interpretations and clear definitional frameworks.