II Antonyms. The definition and classification.

The words of the language may be also grouped and classified according to the contrasting ideas they represent. Traditionally antonyms are defined as words of the same part of speech which are opposite in meaning, e.g. big – small, lie – truth, to brake – to mend. Antonymy is oppositeness in meaning. In fact, the term is rather vague. Words opposite in meaning maybe characterized by different types of semantic contrast. Compare the adjectives “kind” and “cruel” which express completely opposed notions; “kind” – “unkind” which show no polarity of meaning but simple negation as “unkind” is not necessarily “cruel”. Thus, antonyms may be described as two or more words of the same part of speech which have some common denotational components (old – young) characterized by different types of semantic contrast of denotational meaning and interchangeable at least in some contexts as they have the same grammatical and lexical valency and colloqability. They differ only in their denotational meaning but do not differ in their stylistical coloring, emotive charge and other connotational characteristics. Antonymic substitution never results in a change of stylistic coloring, e.g. “There’s so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us”.

Antonymy is a regular and very natural feature of a language in general and of the vocabulary of the language in particular. Not every word of a language may have an antonym though every word may have a synonym. Many words of concrete denotation have no antonyms, e.g. table etc. Names of physical and mental qualities usually have antonyms, e.g. round-square, bad-good… Abstract nouns also have antonyms, e.g. love-hatred, cleverness-foolishness, honesty-dishonesty etc. Verbs denoting physical and mental activity usually have antonyms too, e.g. to put on – to put off, to tie – to untie, to open – to close etc.

Antonymy is different in different parts of speech. Different lexico-semantic variants of a word have different antonyms: dry – wet, dry – interesting (about style); dear – hateful, dear – cheap etc.

There may be pairs of antonyms: normal – abnormal; forward – backward etc. Sometimes we have antonymous synonymic groups: normal (abnormal) – ordinary (extraordinary) – usual (unusual) – regular (irregular) – natural (unnatural).

Antonyms are words (lexical semantic variants) of the same part of speech that have some common denotational components in their semantic structure but express contrasting notions (contrary or contradictory). They have the same grammatical and lexical valency and often occur in the same contexts. The criterion of interchangeability may be applied to antonyms.

According to the relationship between the notions expressed antonyms are divided into contradictories and contraries. Contradictory antonyms form a binary complimentary opposition which admits of no possibility between the members, e.g. dead – alive, single – married, perfect – imperfect etc. Contrary antonyms form a gradual opposition which admits of possibility between them (intermediate members). They are the polar points of this gradual opposition, e.g. cold –(cool, warm)– hot, beautiful –(plain, good-looking)– ugly.

Another classification. According to their morphological structure antonyms may be subdivided into root antonyms and derivational antonyms.

Root Derivational (they have different roots) (differ in derivational elements)

bad-good possible – impossible

tall – short to agree – to disagree

There are several word-building affixes, prefixes and suffixes in the English language which help in the formation of antonyms, they are: prefixes – un (unusual), ir (irregular), im (impolite), in (inexperienced), il (illegal), dis (distrust), a (achromatic), ab (abnormal), under/over (overestimate), sub/super (superstructure), ful/less (artful), y/less (windy).