WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ANTONYM?

Magetan - An antonym is the concept when one is true, the other must be false.

Kreidler (1998) states that an antonym can be found when two sentences differ in polarity, like these two sentences, which are considered mutually contradictory.

• Alvin is watching television now.
• Alvin isn’t watching television now.

Two sentences that have the same subject and have predicates which are antonyms are alsomutually contradictory. These are the examples:

•  The television is on now. VS The television is off now.
• Mr Andy is an old man. VS Mr Andy is a young man.
• The road is wide here. VS The road is narrow here.

BINARY AND NON-BINARY ANTONYMS

The difference between binary and non-binary antonyms lies in their fundamental nature and the way they represent opposite concepts.

1. Binary Antonyms:

  - Binary antonyms are pairs of words that represent two opposite ends of a spectrum or a dichotomy.

 - They adhere to a strict "either/or" structure, meaning that one word in the pair is the direct opposite of the other.

- Examples of binary antonyms include: hot/cold, big/small, fast/slow, light/dark, etc.

 - These antonyms often represent contrasting qualities that are easily understood in terms of opposites.

2. Non-binary Antonyms:

  - Non-binary antonyms, on the other hand, represent a more nuanced relationship between concepts.

 - Instead of just two opposing poles, non-binary antonyms may involve multiple gradations or intermediate states.

 - They do not strictly adhere to the "either/or" structure; instead, they may exist on a continuum where there are varying degrees of opposition.

  - Examples of non-binary antonyms include: happy/sad (where there can be various levels of happiness and sadness), young/old (where age is a continuum), hot/warm/cool/cold (where temperature exists on a spectrum), etc.

 - These antonyms often reflect concepts that are more complex and cannot be neatly categorized into just two opposing categories.

In summary, binary antonyms represent clear-cut opposites with no middle ground, while non-binary antonyms encompass a spectrum of related concepts with varying degrees of opposition.

CONVERSE ANTONYMS:

Sentences contain converse predicates, which necessarily have a valency of 2 or more.

The map is above the chalkboard. VS The chalkboard is below the map.

Sally is Jerry’s wife. (Sally is the wife of Jerry) VS Jerry is Sally’s husband. (Jerry is the husband of Sally)