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28 - The main types of semantic relations between meanings.

Lexicon is a system that exists in the mind of the speaker. The Ws divide the semantic space between themselves.

Thesaurus: Ws are grouped according to some common concepts.

Types of relations:

1. Inclusion

 implies that the meaning of 1 word contains the semantic features of another word

2. proximity (a kind of similarity – closest mngs, partially similar)

 similarity of meaning. Always partial. It leads to synonymy. Synonymic dominant is the central, most neutral & general term of a synonymic set.

3. Opposition

 leads to antonymy.

4. equivalence (strictly speaking doesn’t exist)

 implies full similarity of meaning.

Degree of proximity:

Proximity is always a matter of degree. There are cases when Ws share only 1 semantic feature (ex: red, green, father, son). The higher the degree is the more possible becomes synonymy.

1. Denotations are the same, connotations are different

(ex: foe-enemy – dif.style; father-daddy – dif. emotive connotation).

2. Denotations are close, but different, connotations are the same. The degree of proximity is lower.

(clever – intelligent)

3. Denotations are close, but not identical, connotations & pragmatics differ. (economical – stingy)

Ideographic stylistic synonyms belong to the same group, have same connotations. Some syns. are very distant.

4. Denotations, connotations & pragmatics are close. (ex: to kill-murder; convince-persuade)

Opposition: at some step Ws stop sharing common features, but there’s still smth that unites them. (ex: black-white).

There should be some ground for the opposition. Opposition is the key to antonymy. Ws can be contrasted & opposed, have smth in common. (ex: man-woman).