1. Lexis, Morphology & Semantics for English Language Teaching Exploration of semantic operations 1: Synonymy & Antonymy

2. Exploration of semantic operations x 5 talks Interrelationship between denotation, connotation & collocation Analysis of lexical sets, semantic fields & sense relations Synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy & meronymy Common conceptions of English semantic operations among Chinese-speaking learners

3. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonymy semantic identity / sameness: cognitive equivalence, contextual independence conditions of absolute / partial / near synonymy linguistic redundancy & stylistic variation / resources etymological backgrounds: double / triple scales Antonymy binary / complementary opposites; gradable / scalable / polar opposites; directional opposites: reversives; relational opposites: conversives construing binarity, inherent / logical binarity, basic / pure binarity, symmetric binarity markedness in antonymy

4. Exploration of semantic operations 1 How synonymous? biglarge littlesmall hightall lowshort widebroad deep profound lastfinal

5. Exploration of semantic operations 1 How synonymous (in context)? big / large big Janet is a big girl. big Janet is a big woman. large Janet is a large girl. large John is a large woman. big Janet is my big sister. large Janet is my large sister.

6. Exploration of semantic operations 1 How synonymous (in context)? big / large big Janet is a big girl.“ profiling a word big Janet is a big woman. in a cognitive frame" large Janet is a large girl. large John is a large woman. big Janet is my big sister. large Janet is my large sister.

7. Exploration of semantic operations 1 How synonymous (in context)? big / large big (adj):1. large in sizethree 2. (more) grown uprelated 3. (attrib) importantmeanings one polysemous dictionary (not homonymous) entry

8. Exploration of semantic operations 1 How synonymous (in context)? big / large large (adj):1. of considerable size two 2. wide in range, related scope or scale; meanings broad one polysemous dictionary (not homonymous) entry

9. Exploration of semantic operations 1 How synonymous (in context)? big / large big (adj):1. large in size 2. (more) grown up 3. (attrib) important two polysemous words: “big” & “large” overlapping semantically with each other large (adj):1. of considerable size 2. wide in range, scope or scale; broad

10. Exploration of semantic operations 1 How synonymous (in context)? big / large big Janet is a big girl. (grown-up “[small-]girl”) big Janet is a big woman. (?grown-up “[grown-up-]woman”) (large-size “[grown-up-]woman”) large Janet is a large girl. large Janet is a large woman. big Janet is my big sister. (My sister is older [i.e. more grown-up] than me.) large Janet is my large sister. (My other sister is not large in size.)

11. Exploration of semantic operations 1 How synonymous (in context)? girl woman lady Is political correctness important to you?

12. Exploration of semantic operations 1 How synonymous (in context)? little / small little John is a little boy. little ?John is a little man. (petty, mean) small John is a small boy. small John is a small man. little John is my little brother. small John is my small brother. little John is my little son. small John is my small son.

13. Exploration of semantic operations 1 How synonymous (in context)? little / small little (adj):1. not big; small 2. (of distance / time) short 3. (after nice, sweet, etc) to express affection (not complete, i.e. partial, synonyms) small (adj):1. not large in size, degree, number, value, etc 2. young 3. not as big as sth else of the same kind

14. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonymy: descriptive equivalence Semantic identity / sameness as: –descriptive & non-descriptive meanings –incomplete ( vs ?complete? ) (? up to you ?) to construe equivalence, or not

15. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonymy: contextual independence Semantic identity / sameness as: –contextual interchangeability vs contextual dependence –non-total ( vs ?total? ) (? up to you ?) to construe contextual independence, or not

16. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonymy: dimensions of meaning (descriptive: )(non-descriptive: ) cognitiveemotive intellectualaffective rationalemotional conventionalstylistic / artistic informativeliterary / creative

17. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonyms: absolute / partial / near Three conditions: –lexemes identical in all their meanings –lexemes synonymous in all contexts –lexemes semantically equivalent on all dimensions Lyons, J. (1995) Linguistic Semantics. Cambridge University Press.

18. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonyms: absolute / partial / near absolute synonyms: ?? e.g. bachelor / ?unmarried man? partial synonyms: e.g. big / large near synonyms: e.g. fog / mist Lyons, J. (1995) Linguistic Semantics. Cambridge University Press.

19. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonyms: absolute / partial / near absolute synonyms: ?? e.g.bachelor / ?unmarried man? etymology of “bachelor” young man training to be a knight  junior member of a guild / university The Pope is a man. He is unmarried. THEREFORE ? ?The Pope is a bachelor.

20. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonyms: absolute / partial / near absolute synonyms: ?? e.g.bachelor / ?unmarried man? etymology of “bachelor” young man training to be a knight  junior member of a guild / university The Pope is a man. He is unmarried. THEREFORE ? ?The Pope is a bachelor.

21. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonymy as stylistic variation: the double scale bodilycorporeal brotherlyfraternal heavenlycelestial answerreply buypurchase readperuse worlduniverse helpaid (self-helpmutual aid) Ullmann, S. (1962) Semantics: An Introduction to the Science of Meaning. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

22. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonymy as stylistic variation: the triple scale begin/startcommenceinitiate endfinishconclude foodnourishmentnutrition kinglyroyalregal risemountascend timeageepoch Ullmann, S. (1962) Semantics: An Introduction to the Science of Meaning. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

23. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonymy as stylistic variation: etymological backgrounds Synonyms in English as: Saxon  Latin Saxon  French  Latin / Greek English  Cantonese in HK stylistic resources sociolinguistic backgrounds

24. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonymy: linguistic redundancy Semantic identity / sameness as: –unnecessary –uneconomical –probably non-existent

25. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: binary / complementary opposites (I) alivedead asleepawake onoff openshut/closed female?male married?single

26. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: binary / “ either-or ”/ complementary opposites (I) alivedead asleepawake onoff openshut/closed female?male married?single

27. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: binary / “ either-or ”/ complementary opposites (II) openshut/close livedie permitforbid rememberforget arriveleave stayleave

28. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: gradable / scalar / polar opposites longshort widenarrow highlow tallshort oldyoung richpoor

29. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: more  gradable / scalar / polar  less opposites longshort widenarrow highlow tallshort oldyoung richpoor

30. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: more  gradable / scalar / polar  less opposites longshort widenarrow highlow tallshort oldyoung richpoor Some linguists’ view: only gradable opposites are antonyms

31. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: more  gradable / scalar / polar  less opposites How long is this rod??How short is this rod? Its length is …?Its shortness is … How wide is this road??How narrow is this road? Its width is …?Its narrowness is … How high is this building??How low is this building? Its height is …?Its lowness is …

32. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: more  gradable / scalar / polar  less opposites How long is this rod??How short is this rod? Its length is …?Its shortness is … How wide is this road??How narrow is this road? Its width is …?Its narrowness is … How high is this building??How low is this building? Its height is …?Its lowness is … unmarkedmarked unmarked / defaultunusual / marked markedness

33. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: more  gradable / scalar / polar  less opposites How tall are you??How short are you? How old are you??How young are you? How rich are you??How poor are you?

34. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: more  gradable / scalar / polar  less opposites How tall are you??How short are you? I’m 6 feet tall.I’m 3 feet short. How old are you??How young are you? I’m 9 years old.I’m 3 years young. How rich are you??How poor are you? (How much money …?)(How little money …?) unmarkedmarked unmarked / defaultunusual / marked

35. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: directional opposites: reversives risefall raiselower updown topbottom leftright forwardbackward northsouth eastwest

36. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: relational opposites: conversives abovebelow in front ofbehind buysell lendborrow wifehusband parentoffspring studentteacher customersalesman

37. Exploration of semantic operations 1 directional opposites: reversives risefall raiselower updown topbottom leftright forwardbackward northsouth eastwest relational opposites: conversives abovebelow in front ofbehind buysell lendborrow wifehusband parentoffspring studentteacher customersalesman

38. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Construing oppositeness: binarity towncountry naturalartificial single-deckerdouble-decker teacoffee jeanstrousers bluered

39. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Construing oppositeness: binarity countrytown naturalartificial single-deckerdouble-decker teacoffee jeanstrousers bluered (the lexical pairs are opposites when profiled in certain conceptual frames / domains)

40. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Construing oppositeness: inherent / logical binarity MondayWednesday yesterdaytomorrow springautumn / fall summerwinter redgreen blueyellow

41. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Construing oppositeness: inherent / logical binarity Monday  Tuesday  Wednesday yesterday  today  tomorrow spring  summer  autumn / fall summerwinter redgreen blueyellow

42. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Antonymy: directional opposites: conversives Construing oppositeness: basic / pure binarity skirttrousers cigarettecigar waitresswaiter auntuncle womanman FemaleMale YINYANG

43. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Construing oppositeness: symmetric binarity biglittle largesmall hugetiny enormousminscule

44. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Construing oppositeness: symmetric binarity biglittle largesmall hugetiny enormousminscule coolwarm coldhot freezingburning

45. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Construing oppositeness: markedness in binarity morphological markedness: e.g. kind vs unkind distributional markedness: e.g. his height is … vs his shortness is …

46. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Construing oppositeness: markedness in binarity morphological markedness: e.g. kind vs unkind distributional markedness: e.g. his height is … vs his shortness is … semantic markedness: e.g.the dogs vs the dogs & puppies

47. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Construing oppositeness: markedness in binarity morphological markedness: e.g. kind vs unkind distributional markedness: e.g. his height is … vs his shortness is … semantic markedness: e.g.the dogs vs the dogs & puppies (the people vs the people & the women the people vs the people & the men)

48. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Construing semantic oppositeness: red vs blue in English  RED IS UP  ; BLUE IS DOWN  roses are red; violets are blue red = energetic; blue = low-spirited (out of the blue) ? ? reddish-blue ? ? bluish-red

49. Exploration of semantic operations 1 Synonymy semantic identity / sameness: cognitive equivalence, contextual independence conditions of absolute / partial / near synonymy linguistic redundancy & stylistic variation / resources etymological backgrounds: double / triple scales Antonymy binary / complementary opposites; gradable / scalable / polar opposites; directional opposites: reversives; relational opposites: conversives construing binarity, inherent / logical binarity, basic / pure binarity, symmetric binarity markedness in antonymy