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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.)

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 …

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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 …

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

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)

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

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