Antonyms: Structural and Semantic Classifications
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Questions and Answers

Who introduced the term antonym?

L.P. Smith in 1867.

What are antonyms?

Words that have opposite meanings.

What does modern research in antonymy show?

  • There is a special antonymic connotation in the semantic structure of words. (correct)
  • All words in antonymic pairs have semantic similarities.
  • Antonyms do not occur in pairs.
  • Antonyms have only one possible meaning.
  • How are antonyms defined according to their characteristics?

    <p>Two or more words of the same language belonging to the same part of speech with contrary or contradictory meanings.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the divisions of antonyms?

    <p>Morphological, structural, and semantic division.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the difference between root/absolute antonyms and derivational antonyms?

    <p>Root/absolute antonyms have implicit negation while derivational antonyms have explicit negation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which prefixes are commonly used in derivation antonyms?

    <p>dis-, il-/im-/in-/ir- and un-</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the basis for the semantic division of antonyms?

    <p>The type of logical notion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are contradictory antonyms?

    <p>Antonyms that are mutually opposed with no middle ground.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is unique about contrary antonyms?

    <p>They allow for intermediate possibilities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Syntactic negation is stronger than lexical antonymy.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do conversives denote?

    <p>One and the same referent viewed from different points of view.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be grouped into antonymic pairs?

    <p>Words and set expressions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Komissarov, what are two criteria for words to be considered antonymous?

    <p>They must be regularly contrasted in actual speech and allow for substitution.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Antonyms differ stylistically and in emotional coloring.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Introduction to Antonyms

    • The term "antonym" was introduced by L.P. Smith in 1867.
    • Antonyms are defined as words with opposite meanings, such as hot-cold and light-dark.

    Characteristics of Antonyms

    • Research has revealed that antonyms possess a special antonymic connotation within their semantic structure.
    • Antonyms belong to the same part of speech, share a style, and are used in similar contexts, yielding contrary meanings.

    Classification of Antonyms

    • Antonyms can be classified into two major categories: morphological (structural) and semantic divisions.

    Morphological or Structural Division

    • Antonyms often contain differential components that imply negation of each other, which can be explicit (using morphemes) or implicit (not morphologically expressed).
    • Examples of explicit negation: married - unmarried; implicit negation: married - single.

    Types of Negation in Antonyms

    • Root/absolute antonyms display implicit negation, e.g., love - hate.
    • Derivational antonyms feature explicit negation, often using affixes (e.g., logical - illogical).

    Negative Prefixes in Derivation Antonyms

    • Common negative prefixes include dis-, il-/im-/in-/ir-, and un-. Other prefixes occasionally serve similar functions.

    Semantic Division of Antonyms

    • This classification relies on the logical notion type, distinguishing between absolute and derivational antonyms.
    • Contradictory notions do not allow for possible middles, e.g., dead - alive, while contrary notions permit intermediates, e.g., hot - warm - cold.

    Nature of Antonyms

    • Contradictory antonyms are mutually exclusive and have no middle ground.
    • Contrary antonyms allow for gradation and possibilities between extremes, often utilizing negative constructions.

    Syntactic Negation

    • Syntactic negation is weaker than lexical antonymy (e.g., "not happy" is less emphatic than "unhappy").

    Conversive Antonyms

    • Conversives, such as buy-sell and give-receive, reflect the same referent from different perspectives but are sometimes debated as antonyms.

    Contextual Behavior of Conversives

    • The interchangeability and contextual behavior of conversives do not alter the sentence meaning with proper syntactic changes.

    Antonymic Pairs in Expressions

    • Antonym pairs can include set expressions, exemplified by "by accident" versus "on purpose," which also form a basis for antithesis.

    Komissarov’s Approach to Antonyms

    • According to Komissarov, two words are considered antonymous if:
      • They are regularly contrasted in speech or by contextual co-occurrence.
      • There is potential for substitution.
      • They share identical lexical valency.

    Antonyms vs. Synonyms

    • Unlike synonyms, antonyms maintain style and emotional consistency, making them interchangeable in various contexts without altering stylistic meaning.

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    Description

    This quiz focuses on antonyms, exploring their structural and semantic classifications. Learn about the history, definitions, and research surrounding antonyms, along with examples illustrating their use. Perfect for vocabulary enhancement and linguistic studies.

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