1. ANTONYMS

2. definition of antonyms
V.N. Komissarov’s theory on antonyms
classification of antonyms
conversives

3. Antonyms belong to the same part speech
belong to the same semantic field
identical in style
nearly identical in distribution
denotational meanings render contradictory or contrary notions
do not differ stylistically, in emotional colouring

4. Contradictory or Contrary Notions
contradictory notions – mutually opposed and denying one another
e.g. alive – ‘not dead’
impatient – ‘not patient’
contrary notions – mutually opposed but they are gradable
e.g. old – middle-aged – young
hot - warm – cool - cold

5. Antonyms (Ginzburg R.S.)
words different in sound-form
characterized by semantic polarity of denotational meaning
characterized by interchangeability in some contexts

6. Semantic Polarity
presence of some common semantic components in the denotational meaning
e.g. ashamed – ‘feeling unhappy or troubled’
proud – ‘feeling of happiness or assurance’

7. Antonyms usually appear in pairs – antonymic pair
a polysemantic word may have an antonym for each of its meanings
e.g. dull – interesting, amusing, entertaining
dull – clever, bright, capable
dull - active

8. Distribution of antonyms among parts of speech
adjectives
e.g. wide – narrow, strong – weak
verbs
e.g. to lose – to find
nouns
e.g. friend - enemy

9. Distribution of antonyms among parts of speech
adverbs
adverbs derived from adjectives
e.g. warmly – coldly, loudly – softly
adverbs proper
e.g. now – then, here – there
set expressions
e.g. by accident - on purpose

10. V. N. Kommissarov’s theory on antonyms
two words shall be considered antonymous if they are regularly contrasted in actual speech
if the contrast in their meanings is proved by definite types of contextual co-occurrence (typical contexts)

11. Typical Contexts A and (or) B = all
e.g. If you have obeyed all the rules good or bad
not A but (on the contrary) B
e.g. He was alive, not dead.

12. Typical Contexts A or B e.g. You will see if you were right or wrong.
X is A, and Y, on the contrary B
e.g. The whole was big, oneself was little

13. Criteria for distinguishing antonyms (by V.N. Komissarov)
regular and frequent co-occurrence in typical contexts
the possibility of substitution and identical lexical valency

14. Identical Contexts e.g. There is so much good in the worst of us,
and so much bad in the best of us.
Where most I Iost, there most I won.

15. Identical Lexical Valency
valency – power to combine with different words
e.g. hot ‘angry, exited’ anger, resentment,
cold scorn (unpleasant
emotions)

16. Classification of Antonyms
absolute or root antonyms (contrary notions)
e.g. to love – to hate

17. Classification of Antonyms
2. derivational antonyms (express contradictory notions)
formed with negative prefixes (un-, non-, dis-)
e.g. to please – to displease
antonymous suffixes –ful and –less
e.g. painful - painless

18. R.S. Ginzburg’s Classification
contradictories – to use one of the words of this pair is to contradict the other. To use NOT before one of them means to make them semantically equivalent
e.g. single - married

19. R.S. Ginzburg’s Classification
contraries – admit the possibility of some intermediate members which are also antonymic
e.g. cold - hot
cool - warm

20. I.V. Arnold’s Classification
antonyms proper – the semantic polarity is relative, the opposition is gradual, it may have several elements characterized by different degrees of the same properties. They always imply comparison
e.g. large - small

21. I.V. Arnold’s Classification
complementarity antonyms – form binory opposition. The denial of one member implies the assertion of the other
e.g. male - female

22. Conversives
denote one and the same referent viewed from different viewpoints: a) viewpoint of a subject b) viewpoint of an object
e.g. to sell – to buy, left – right, husband – wife

23. Conversives
the substitution of a conversive does not change the meaning of a sentence if it is combined with morphological and syntactical changes
e.g. He gives her flowers.
She receives flowers from him