Difference between revisions of "Antonymy"
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| − | '''Antonymy''' is a [[sense relation]]. According to Cruse ( | + | '''Antonymy''' is a [[sense relation]]. According to Cruse (2004: 165), antonyms "are [[incompatible]]s, but not complementaries", and they are always gradable (i.e., a comparative can be formed). Three types of antonymy can be distinguished, on the basis of the relationship between the [[comparative]] and the [[positive]] forms of the relevant predicates: |
* [[Polar antonyms|Polar antonymy]]: The [[comparative]] of neither term entails the corresponding [[positive]] form. Example: 'long' vs. 'short'; 'x is longer than y' does not entail 'x is long', 'x is shorter than y' does not entail 'x is short'. | * [[Polar antonyms|Polar antonymy]]: The [[comparative]] of neither term entails the corresponding [[positive]] form. Example: 'long' vs. 'short'; 'x is longer than y' does not entail 'x is long', 'x is shorter than y' does not entail 'x is short'. | ||
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===Reference=== | ===Reference=== | ||
| − | Kempson, R.M. 1977.'' Semantic theory.'' Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. | + | * Kempson, R.M. 1977.'' Semantic theory.'' Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. |
| + | * Cruse, A. 2004. ''Meaning in Language. An Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. | ||
===Other languages=== | ===Other languages=== | ||
Revision as of 12:33, 23 May 2009
Antonymy is a sense relation. According to Cruse (2004: 165), antonyms "are incompatibles, but not complementaries", and they are always gradable (i.e., a comparative can be formed). Three types of antonymy can be distinguished, on the basis of the relationship between the comparative and the positive forms of the relevant predicates:
- Polar antonymy: The comparative of neither term entails the corresponding positive form. Example: 'long' vs. 'short'; 'x is longer than y' does not entail 'x is long', 'x is shorter than y' does not entail 'x is short'.
- Equipollent antonymy: The comparative of both terms entails the corresponding positive form. Example: 'hot' vs. 'cold'; 'x is hotter than y' entails 'x is hot', 'x is colder than y' entails 'x is cold'.
- Overlapping antonymy: The comparative of one (but not both) terms entails the corresponding positive form. Example: 'good' vs. 'bad'; 'x is better than y' does not entail 'x is good', but 'x is worse than y' entails 'x is bad'.
Link
Utrecht Lexicon of Linguistics
Reference
- Kempson, R.M. 1977. Semantic theory. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Cruse, A. 2004. Meaning in Language. An Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
