Antonymy

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AntonymyAntonymy

Do you still remember… Do you still remember…

homonymy

polysemy

synonymy

antonymy

hyponymy

A lexeme which is related to other

lexemes is related to them in sense.

sense relations

AntonymyAntonymy

Types of Antonyms

Some of the Characteristics of Antonyms

The Use of Antonyms

1

2

3

Some relevant points about antonymsSome relevant points about antonyms

Word order of antonymous pairs (A) (B)

heaven and earth fire and water

man and wife heat and cold

cause and effect right and left

come and go rich and poor

far and near heavy and light

black and white old and new

thick and thin sooner or later

Some relevant points about antonymsSome relevant points about antonyms

Some pairs seem to be antonyms, but actually they are synonyms.

loosen --- unloosen

valuable --- invaluable

flammable --- inflammable

shameful --- shameless

heritable --- inheritable

a good scare --- a bad scare

a slim chance --- a fat chance

quite a lot --- quite a few

TYPES OF ANTONYMSTYPES OF ANTONYMS

Antonymy oppositeness of meaning (semantic opposition)Antonyms words which are opposite in meaning

e.g. big---small

man---woman


According to WNDS, there are 6 classes of antonyms:

1) contradictory terms2) contrary terms3) relative terms4) reverse terms5) contrasted terms6) incompatibles


Converses

Complementaries

Contraries

1.

2.

3.


1. Complementaries /contradictory terms

---forms of antonyms which truly represent oppositeness of meaning

e.g. true---false boy---girl bent---straight correct---incorrect same---different perfect---imperfect


Features of complementaries:

a. They are so opposed to each other that they are mutually exclusive and admit no possibility between them.

e.g. male---female dead---alive

b. They are nongradable: they cannot be

use in comparative degrees and do not allow adverbs of intensity like very to qualify them.

e.g. single---married


2. Contraries /gradable antonyms --- best envisaged in terms of a scale running

between two poles or extremes.

e.g. white---black heavy---light love---hate old---young begin---end

...... beautiful, good-looking, average, plain, ugly ......


Features of contraries:

Contraries are gradable, and the semantic contrast in a contrary pair is relative; i.e. there are often intermediate terms between the two opposites.

e.g. hot---cold

*Semantic polarity: they form part of a scale of values between two poles and can accommodate a middle ground belonging neither to one pole nor to the other.

..

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Converses3.

Relational opposites Reverse terms

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Relational opposites:

This pairs of words indicate such a reciprocal social relationship that one of them cannot be used without suggesting the other.

e.g. interviewer--interviewee

husband--wife

boyfriend--girlfriend

trainer---trainee

perdecessor--successor

parent---child


Reverse terms:

Reverse terms comprise adjectives and adverbs signifying a quality and verbs and nouns signifying an act or state that reverse or undo the quality, action or state of the other.

e.g. give---receive buy---sell ask---answer up---down

come---go


*boy--girl vs boyfriend--girlfriend

complementariecomplementariess relational oppositesrelational opposites

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SOME OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANTONYMSSOME OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ANTONYMS

TEXT TEXT TEXT TEXT

1. Antonyms are classified on the basis of semantic opposition.

2. Words which are polysemantic can have more than on

e antonym.

3. Antonyms differ in semantic inclusio

n.

4. Contraries are gradable antonyms,differing in degree of intensity, so each has its own corresponding op

posite.

5. Some words can have two different types of antonyms at the same time, one being the negative and the other opp

osite.


>

verbs>

nouns

Words like write, game, eat, money,magazine, hair,

bag etc.

In a language, there are a great many more synonyms th

an antonyms.adjectives


Dull

interesting

book or

lecture

vivacious

sunnyweather

sharpacute

pain

intelligentsound

som

ebod

y

somebody


* Pairs of antonyms are seen as unmarked and marked terms repectively.

Unmarked Marked(more specific)

man womanchicken cock

big smallheavy light

nouns

adjectives


e.g. happy---unhappy---sad

productive---unproductive---destructive

free---unfree---enslaved

THE USE OF ANTONYMSTHE USE OF ANTONYMS

1 2 3

Defining the meanings of a given word.

Enabling us to express economically the opposite of a particular thought, often for the sake of contrast.

Forming antithesis to achieve emphasis by putting contrasting ideas togeth

er.


*Different contexts or collocations also bring about different antonyms.

e.g. an old man --- a young man

an old house --- a modern/new house

a tall building --- a low building

a tall man --- a short man

fresh bread --- stale bread

fresh air --- stuffy air

fresh flower --- faded flower

fresh look --- tired look


Some proverbs and sayings are illustrative examples.

Many great writers are fond of using antonyms to serve their stylistic purpose.


e.g. rain or shine

now or never

thick and thin

weal and woe

high and low

give and take

up and down

ins and outs

Antonymy

Education

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