Antonyms: Structural and Semantic Classifications

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.

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.