英语词汇学7-2.ppt

II. Antonymy
Antonymy is concerned with semantic opposition. Antonyms can be defined as words which are opposite in meaning. There are a variety of ‘oppositeness’. They can be classified into three major groups.
1. Types of Antonyms
(1)Contradictory terms/Binary plementaries
These antonyms truly represent oppositeness of meaning. They are so opposed to each other that they are mutually exclusive and admit no possibility between them. The assertion of one is the denial of the other.
In other words, if one of the pair is true, then the other cannot be.
agree vs disagree alive vs dead
true vs false alive--dead, single--married, present -- absent, male--female, perfect--imperfect,
John is not alive. (He is dead.)
John is married. (He is not single.)
One is either married or single.
Another distinctive feature of this category is that such antonyms are non-gradable. They cannot be used parative degrees and do not allow adverbs of intensity like very to qualify them.
(2)Contrary terms/Gradable antonyms
Antonyms of this type are best viewed in terms of a scale running between two poles and extremes.
hot warm↗↘ cool
↘cold↗
_______________________
hot warm cool cold
(3)Relational opposites/converse antonyms
This type consists of relational opposites such as parent/child, husband/wife. The pairs of words indicate such a reciprocal social relationship that one of them cannot be used without suggesting the other.
This type also includes reverse terms, prise adjectives and adverbs signifying a quality, or verbs and nouns signifying ant act or state that reverse the quality, action or state of the other
(4) Semantic patible
2. Some of the Characteristics of Antonyms
Antonyms are classified on the basis of semantic opposition. Words denoting nature, quality or state of things have many antonyms. This accounts for the large number of antonyms among adjectives. es verbs which denote action or activity. Least antonyms are found among nouns which are names of obje