ANTONYMS definition of antonyms V N Komissarovs theory

ANTONYMS

§ definition of antonyms § V. N. Komissarov’s theory on antonyms § classification of antonyms § conversives

Antonyms § belong to the same part speech § belong to the same semantic field § identical in style § nearly identical in distribution § denotational meanings render contradictory or contrary notions § do not differ stylistically, in emotional colouring

Contradictory or Contrary Notions § contradictory notions – mutually opposed and denying one another e. g. alive – ‘not dead’ impatient – ‘not patient’ § contrary notions – mutually opposed but they are gradable e. g. old – middle-aged – young hot - warm – cool - cold

Antonyms (Ginzburg R. S. ) § words different in sound-form § characterized by semantic polarity of denotational meaning § characterized by interchangeability in some contexts

Semantic Polarity § presence of some common semantic components in the denotational meaning e. g. ashamed – ‘feeling unhappy or troubled’ proud – ‘feeling of happiness or assurance’

Antonyms § usually appear in pairs – antonymic pair § a polysemantic word may have an antonym for each of its meanings e. g. dull – interesting, amusing, entertaining dull – clever, bright, capable dull - active

Distribution of antonyms among parts of speech § adjectives e. g. wide – narrow, strong – weak § verbs e. g. to lose – to find § nouns e. g. friend - enemy

Distribution of antonyms among parts of speech § adverbs 1. adverbs derived from adjectives e. g. warmly – coldly, loudly – softly 2. adverbs proper e. g. now – then, here – there § set expressions e. g. by accident - on purpose

V. N. Kommissarov’s theory on antonyms § two words shall be considered antonymous if they are regularly contrasted in actual speech § if the contrast in their meanings is proved by definite types of contextual co-occurrence (typical contexts)

Typical Contexts § A and (or) B = all e. g. If you have obeyed all the rules good or bad § not A but (on the contrary) B e. g. He was alive, not dead.

Typical Contexts § A or B e. g. You will see if you were right or wrong. § X is A, and Y, on the contrary B e. g. The whole was big, oneself was little

Criteria for distinguishing antonyms (by V. N. Komissarov) 1. regular and frequent cooccurrence in typical contexts 2. the possibility of substitution and identical lexical valency

Identical Contexts § e. g. There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us. § e. g. Where most I Iost, there most I won.

Identical Lexical Valency § valency – power to combine with different words e. g. hot ‘angry, exited’ anger, resentment, cold scorn (unpleasant emotions)

Classification of Antonyms 1. absolute or root antonyms (contrary notions) e. g. to love – to hate

Classification of Antonyms 2. derivational antonyms (express contradictory notions) § formed with negative prefixes (un-, non, dis-) e. g. to please – to displease § antonymous suffixes –ful and –less e. g. painful - painless

R. S. Ginzburg’s Classification § contradictories – to use one of the words of this pair is to contradict the other. To use NOT before one of them means to make them semantically equivalent e. g. single - married

R. S. Ginzburg’s Classification § contraries – admit the possibility of some intermediate members which are also antonymic e. g. cold hot cool - warm

I. V. Arnold’s Classification § antonyms proper – the semantic polarity is relative, the opposition is gradual, it may have several elements characterized by different degrees of the same properties. They always imply comparison e. g. large - small

I. V. Arnold’s Classification § complementarity antonyms – form binory opposition. The denial of one member implies the assertion of the other e. g. male - female

Conversives § denote one and the same referent viewed from different viewpoints: a) viewpoint of a subject b) viewpoint of an object e. g. to sell – to buy, left – right, husband – wife

Conversives § the substitution of a conversive does not change the meaning of a sentence if it is combined with morphological and syntactical changes e. g. He gives her flowers. She receives flowers from him