6.3 Synonymy

1. 6.3 Synonymy

2. 6.3.1 Definition of Synonyms • Definition: • Words different in sound and spelling but nearly alike or exactly the same in meaning • Problem: • What kind of meaning does “meaning” refer to?

3. 6.3.1 Definition of Synonyms • Types of meaning: • grammatical meaning • lexical meaning • conceptual meaning • associative meaning • connotative meaning • stylistic meaning • affective meaning • collocative meaning

4. 6.3.1 Definition of Synonyms • Examples: • generous—extravagant = free with money • end—terminate = put to an end • * end—final = relating to end • * brother—fraternally = relating to brother • One of two or more words which have the same or very nearly the same essential meaning. (WNDS)

5. 6.3.2 Types of Synonyms • Two types of synononyms: • absolute synonyms • relative synonyms

6. 6.3.2 Types of Synonyms • 1. absolute/complete synonyms • scarlet-fever—scarlatina 猩红热 • composition—compounding • word-building—word-formation • words which are identical in both grammatical and lexical meanings, including associative meanings

7. 6.3.2 Types of Synonyms • 2. Relative synonyms /near-synonyms • wordswhich aresimilar or the same in conceptual meanng, but may have differences in associative meanings (connotative, stylistic, affective, collocative)

8. 6.3.2 Types of Synonyms • change—alter • 1. Yesterday I bought a coat, but it was too big, so I took it back and ________it. • 2. Yesterday I bought a coat, but it was too big, so I took it to the tailor and ______ it. changed altered

9. 6.3.2 Types of Synonyms • expensive—dear • 笑 • laugh • smile • grin • chuckle • giggle 大笑 微笑 咧嘴笑 暗笑 嗤笑

10. 6.3.2 Types of Synonyms 哈哈大笑 • chortle • titter • snigger • guffaw • cackle • roar 傻笑 嘻皮笑脸地笑 哄笑 咯咯地笑 狂笑

11. 6.3.3 Sources of Synonyms • 1. Borrowing. • As a result of borrowing, words of native origin form couplets（成对词）or triplets（三词组）with those from other languages, e.g.

12. 6.3.3 Sources of Synonyms • Leave (English) depart(Borrowing) • earthly terrestrial • buy purchase • English French Latin • ask question interrogate • holy sacred consecrated

13. 6.3.3 Sources of Synonyms 2. Dialects and regional English, e.g. • railway (BrE) railroad (AmE) • mother (BrE) minny (ScotE)

14. 6.3.3 Sources of Synonyms 3. Figurative and euphemistic use of words, e.g.

15. 6.3.3 Sources of Synonyms 4. Coincidence with idiomatic expressions, e.g. • win gain the upper hand • decide make up one’s mind

16. 6.3.4Discrimination of Synonyms • The differences between synonyms may boil down to three areas: denotation, connotation, andapplication. • 1. Difference in denotation • (1) Difference in range of meaning • timid: • timorous: momentary; habitual habitual (disposition)

17. 6.3.4Discrimination of Synonyms TV, bicycle, shoes, wall • mend: • patch: • wind: • breeze: clothes any kind light wind

18. 6.3.4Discrimination of Synonyms • 2) Difference in intensity of meaning • rich—wealthy • surprise—astonish • unpleasant—disgusting • anger—fury

19. 6.3.4Discrimination of Synonyms • 2. Difference in connotation • (1) Difference in stylistic colouring • agree—concur • small—diminutive • fire—flame—conflagration • time—age—epoch

20. 6.3.4Discrimination of Synonyms • 2) Difference in affective colouring • argue—quarrel • modest—humble • brave—foolhardy • accomplice—partner/collaborator

21. 6.3.4Discrimination of Synonyms • 3. Difference in application • Collocation • forbid sb to do sth • prohibit sb from doing sth • charge sb with sth • accuse sb of sth

22. 6.3.4Discrimination of Synonyms • the world began/started • the car started/began • a man of sense/meaning

23. 6.3.4Discrimination of Synonyms argument tea car √ √ × √ √ ×

24. 6.5 Antonymy

25. 6.5 Antonymy • Definition: • Antonymy is concerned with semantic opposition. • Antonyms are words opposite in conceptual meaning.

26. 6.5.1 Types of Antonyms • 1. Complementaries互补(contradictory terms, binary antonyms) • Examples: • dead—alive • present—absent • single—married

27. 6.5.1 Types of Antonyms • Characteristics: • truely opposite in meaning • non-gradable and mutually exclusive

28. 6.5.1 Types of Antonyms • If one is absent, one cannot be present. • No one can be both present and absent. • single—married • * S/He is very single, or more single, or extremely single. • * Zhang San is more married than Li Si.

29. 6.5.1 Types of Antonyms • 2. Contraries 对立(contrary terms, gradable antonyms, gradable opposites) • Antonyms of this type are best viewed in terms of a scale running between two poles.

30. 6.5.1 Types of Antonyms • They can accommodate a middle ground. Huge. very big.big.quite big.medium-sized.quite small.small. tiny NORM

31. 6.5.1 Types of Antonyms • More examples: • old middle-aged young • rich well-to-do poor • beautiful good-looking plain ugly • Characteristics: •  gradable •  semantically relative

32. 6.5.1 Types of Antonyms • 3. Converses换位(relative terms, relational opposites) • (1) social relation • parent—child • teacher—pupil • employer—employee

33. 6.5.1 Types of Antonyms • 3. Converses换位(relative terms, relational opposites) • (2) spatial relation • above—below • here—there • right—left

34. 6.5.1 Types of Antonyms • 3. Converses换位(relative terms, relational opposites) • (3) reciprocal relation • buy—sell • give—receive • borrow—lend

35. 6.5.1 Types of Antonyms • Compare: • husband—wife • man—woman • If the adult is not a man, the adult must be a woman. • * If the adult is not a husband, the adult must be a wife. converses complementaries

36. 6.5.2 Characteristics of Antonyms • 1. Most of antonyms are adjectives, a small number are verbs, few are nouns. • 2. A language has more synonyms than antonyms. • read, hit, house, book, power • 3. A word with more than one meaning can have more than one antonym.

37. 6.5.2 Characteristics of Antonyms • Example: clear • clear answer • clear mind • clear plastic bag • clear water • clear conscience confusing/ambiguous muddled opaque dirty guilty

38. 6.5.2 Characteristics of Antonyms • 4. Antonyms differ in semantic inclusion. • One word includes the meaning of the other. • man—woman old—young • There is no man on the island. • There is no woman on the island. • How old is the girl? • How young is the girl?

39. 6.5.2 Characteristics of Antonyms • 5. A contrary term, gradable in nature, has its own antonym of similar intensity. • warm cool • hot cold • warm cold • hot cool

40. 6.5.2 Characteristics of Antonyms • Negative antonyms are not as strong as opposites. unhappysad happy unproductive destructive productive unfree enslaved free

41. 6.5.3 The Use of Antonyms • 1. Antonyms can be used to define words. • Unlike her gregarious sister, Jane is a shy, unsociable person. (gregarious—unsociable) • 2. Antonyms are used to form contrast. • weal and woe high and low • friend or foe give and take

42. 6.5.3 The Use of Antonyms • Different word-order in Chinese and English: • fire and water 水火 • heat and cold 寒署 • right and left 左右 • old and new 新老 • heavy and light 轻重 • sooner or later 迟早 • dine and wine吃喝

43. 6.5.3 The Use of Antonyms • Easy come, easy go. 来得易,去得快 • More haste, less speed. 欲速则不达 • United we stand, divided we fall. • 团结则存, 分裂则亡