词汇学Lecture学习.pptVIP

* * Courseware 3 English Lexicology Instructor: Chen Jinrong Semantic Relations(II) Lecture Six I. Antonymy The meaning of a word may be partially defined by saying what it is not. Male means not female; dead means not alive 1. Definition: antonymy is concerned with semantic opposition. Antonyms are words opposite in meaning. As a rule, man is a fool; When it’s hot, he wants it cool; When it’s cool, he wants it hot; Always wanting what is not. Ironically, the basic semantic property of two words that are antonyms is that they share all but one semantic property. Beautiful and tall are not antonyms; beautiful and ugly, or tall and short, are. The property they do not share is present in one and absent in the other. Thus, in order to be opposite, two words must be semantically similar or in the same semantic category, such as “gender” or “height”. Antonyms are really synonyms—of a special kind. long—short(length) young—old(age) big—small(size) high—low(height) 2. Types of Antonyms 1) According to morphology: root, derivative antonyms: Root Derivative clear—vague; up—down pleasant—unpleasant 2) According to semantics: complementaries, contraries, conversives. a. complementaries/contradictory antonyms/binary antonyms: denoting that the denial of one of the items means the assertion of the other or vice versa(互补/矛盾反义词). single—married male—female dead—alive They are mutually exclusive and admit no possibility between them(互不相容，语义互不包含). They are non-gradable and of an absolute opposition. b. contraries: oppositeness of meaning between two poles or extremes(在两极间的尺度上有相互关系的词，即对立反义词). Contraries are gradable and gradual and one exists in comparison with another. Contraries are also known as graded antonyms. wide—narrow wider, widest beautiful—pretty—good-looking—plain—ugly love—attachment—liking—indifference—antipathy—hate huge—very big—b