SEMANTIC RELATION WORDS

Semantic Relation among Words: Antonym and Synonym

Johanna Meléndez Estévez y Jean Luis Romo Farías

Universidad Central del Ecuador

Notas del autor

Johanna Meléndez Estévez y Jean Romo Farías

Carrera Plurilingüe, Universidad Central del Ecuador

Av. Universitaria, Quito 170129

La correspondencia relacionada con este documento deberá ser enviada a

Johamelendez85@gmail.com

Naej16r@gmail.co
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Semantic Relations among Words: Antonym and Synonym

Antonym and synonym are important relations within the vocabulary of language. The

language of the human being is wide and complex for that reason it is important to use

synonym and antonym due to the fact that these kind of words are resources of the language

that permit to the people do not repeat the same word and express an opposite idea enrichening

the lexis.

Antonym is saw since a traditional conception that it means the opposite of the

words, however, this concept could create confusion because of opposition in different ways.

Firstly, inside of this range of antonyms there are complementary antonyms, where both terms

are mutually exclusive .Besides, the grade of antonyms that show a midpoint among words. It

is important to take into account the relational antonyms where there is a relationship which

the two opposites must exist. Reverse antonyms describe a relation between two words. In

addition, it is possible to know not only the creation of new antonyms from affixes but also the

concept of autoautonym.

On the other hand, it is necessary to analyzes since basics context of synonyms related

to semantics until more complex synonym contexts .This content will be useful for having a

clear idea of it. However, these definitions can induce doubts and an uncertainty. For that

reason, the second step is talk about the thought of some author in order that the definition of

synonymy will be understandable.

In addition, their knowledge permit to the people give a wide view about the use of

synonyms in context, the understanding of roots and the ambiguity even grammatical

differences of each word when are applying for expressing the same idea.. Moreover,

synonym has some types of synonymies which help us to realize better the origin of words,
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applying them in utterance meaning and shows us how use synonyms without changing the

general idea that has been previously expressed.

Finally, the best way to analyze those concepts is through examples in order to clarify

miscomprehension that can be produced for getting quite information of a specific topic.

Those examples are related each about the types of synonyms not only in English but also in

Spanish in order to contrast how would affect it translating in context. Consequently, the use

of synonyms are going to be clear out either English or Spanish.

According to Nick Riemer (2010) “antonym may be characterized as a relationship of

incompatibility between two terms with respect to some given dimension of contrast” (page

137). Complementary antonyms are words that form pairs and among both deplete all the

possibilities. For illustrate, the word true and false are complementary antonym because if a

word is true it can be false, another example occurs with the words dead and alive. A person

cannot be half dead. In Spanish occurs the same case “igual” and “differente” are

complementary antonym because are mutually opposed and deny one another .Besides, it is

important to be careful with some words that a first instance could appear opposite. The words

love and hate are not complementary antonym because if a person do not love, it is not

necessary to hate another person. He or she could feel simple affection or friendliness.

It is important to mention that contradiction is a term close to the term antonym due to

the fact that it says that a proposition is contradictory from other proposition if it is impossible

that both are true at the same time and given in the same circumstances .For example, this dog

is alive is a contradiction of saying this dog is dead, Oscar kills to Pedro is a contradiction of

saying Pedro doesn’t kill to Oscar. Contradictory antonyms include pairs like the following:

asleep -awake, dead- alive, on –off, remember-forget win-lose.

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On the other hand, two complementary or binary antonyms could combine and produce

a contrast, however, people could get confusion. For illustrate, the antonym of boy is neither

women nor the antonym of girl is man. This is incorrect, because the words are not in the same

dimension. Boy and girl are not consider as adults in contrast to women and man. It means, it

is important to consider the dimension in which antonym is involved In that case, it takes into

account the sex or the age. In addition, these antonyms cannot present a kind of grade. The

same problem occurs with the comparative words as bad -worst and good- better. It does not

correct to say that good is opposite of worst

Mentioned the concept of grade, there are gradable and non-gradable antonyms. The

first one admits a midpoint .In fact, it names points on a scale and it is open to comparison.

For illustrate, hot and cold are gradable antonyms because among both could exist a

continuous scale of values such us, tempered, cool and warm. Another example occurs in big

and small. If the word is A (big) it is not necessary to be B (small) it could be C, D or C. A

good way for recognizing if an antonym is gradable consist in combine the word with a

comparative or superlative degrees before the word .

Generally the likes, size and weight are characteristics that describe measurable

antonyms. On the other hand, the non-gradable antonym are words that do not accept

approximation in meaning, for example male or female do not envisage other antonym. It

doesn’t exist a rule that specifies the grade of the things. All it is related with the context in

which the antonym is applied. A small mouse is smallest than a small rabbit. In addition,

words that involves a mathematical quality are not gradable, because we cannot say that a

piece of pizza is more triangular than a pyramid.

Relational antonym is other concept that it is important to take into account. If a word

describe a relationship among two things and other word describe the same relationship when
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two things are mentioned in the opposite order, we say that the two words are reverse one

from other .For example, father and son are inverse because describe the same situation in a

different order . X is the father of Y and Y is the son of X. In Spanish occurs the same

situation such us “debajo”- “encima” or “abuelo” – “nieto” .It is not possible to say that the

opposite of “encubrir” is “descubrir” applying the prefix –des before the word, because the

sense of meaning lost totally relationship.

Another important fact about antonym is that morphology branch fulfils an important

role for the creation of new antonym words through the prefixes. – un – im – in – dis create

antonyms from root words as unhappy, impertinent- indecision and disagree. In Spanish we

can find some antonym words with different prefix as “incoherente”, “imperfect”,

“inanimado”, “desconfiado” .In the case of the prefix –un in Spanish as antonym it does not

find. According to Nick Riemer (2010) “ Antonyms were created through the addition of the

prefix a (n) in an-eleutherus ¨unfree¨( eleutheros ¨free¨) an-omoios´unlike”(page 137).In

addition there are other antonyms that have the same root but different affixes as useful,

useless.

Talking about in the context in which antonyms are developed there are a number of

antonyms that have more than one meaning, Consequently these words have their own

opposites such as "sanction" that means both "to approve" and censure or "clip" can mean

"attach" or "cut off. ". Furthermore, this words are called contronym or auto-antonym.

It could be difficult to say that all words have their antonymns. The common words

that have antonym are words that describe qualities or characteristics of the substantive.On the

other hand, synonym fulfils other role talking about semantic relations, for that reason it is

important to know the several definitions that it has. The most common one is the relationship

between two or more words sharing the same or nearly the same mean however, synonym in
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semantics is more than a simple approximation of meaning due to the fact that it involves a

word recognizing process. Referring to synonyms Nick Riemer (2012),”to define words by

providing synonyms, in either the same language as the word being defined or in a different

one”(p 66). In that sense, we might analyze synonyms in the same language in order for us to

understand better the meaning of the words in a specific language. Nevertheless, non-native

speakers also can deduce that meaning in the own language due to the influence of it.

Moreover, another definition that it could be defined synonyms in semantics is the

relation of meaning identity that could be analyzing through the lexical synonymy (single

word or individual word) and phrasal synonymy (more than one lexeme or a chain of words

that makes sentences) that why we often refer to words as “having the same meaning”

.However, synonym is not only the identity of meaning but also identity of grammatical

properties which are required in this process. In the following explanation we can see that

“pupils” and “students” are not lexical synonyms with respect to one of their sense. In other

words they share the meaning sense but they do not share the same lexical structure (identity

of meaning) “Baggage” and “luggage “are not lexical synonyms with respect to one of their

sense .It means, they are synonymous with respect to one of their sense but they share the

same grammatical properties as the suffix “age” .In addition, this process is also realizable

with other suffixes even prefixes; - ly, - able, -ous etc.

Lyons (2012), “Notes that synonymy is frequently claimed to exist between different

expressions of the same language, but genuine lexical synonyms prove extremely hard to find:

once their combinatorial environments have been fully explored, prosed lexical synonyms

often prove not to be such” (p 169). Furthermore, synonym not always has an exactly meaning

in order to define the unknown word .In some cases that word should be explored in others
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environment that is the reason why synonymy has lots of kinds or types if synonyms which

are going to be clarified in this study of it.

In order to understand better these types of synonyms. There are actually studied either

in the native language or foreign language therefore. There is going to be analyzed in both

English and Spanish. Synonymy is the semantics relation between a word or more words as

we have already studied this process is called partial synonymy because of the meaning sense

and the utility of that word in other words. It can be used both of them in the sentence or

phrase because it does not change the meaning of it. For illustrate, Spanish speakers have the

words “Terco”-“obstinado”.In the next sentence “Nunca es bueno discutir con una persona

terca- obstinada” both express the same meaning in the sentence, sharing practically same

characteristics .English language has several sentences to clarify better it such as the words

“stubborn “ , “obstinate” In the next sentence “Tom can be quite stubborn/obstinate doing that

even he does not have any idea”. This sentences does not change the meaning and is

considered partial synonyms due to her closeness.

Perfect synonymy is actually difficult to find due to similarities of the dialects.

Consequently, there are few examples of them which must be studied carefully in order that it

induces neither misunderstanding nor miscommunication, especially among people who are

trying to guess what the subject is about. This is the reason why in Spanish we have the words

profundo/ hondo ”Tengo un dolor muy profundo/hondo en el corazón” and also English shows

similarities as endless/interminable “The shell is likewise most beautiful in its

endless/interminable shapes and variations.” Clearly, the ideas of synonyms and senses are

interdependent. It means, it is impossible to understand one without understanding the other.

That’s why is easier to explain these concepts with some examples in order that it has been

clarified filling out gaps.

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In semantics the synonymy also has dialectic, social, and stylistic associations who are

considered the word sense .In other words, there are many terms which are interpreted as

colloquial words that clearly differs in the style or grade of formality. These grade and styles

of formalities can be found either Spanish or English such as: “niños “-”chavales” ”Los

niños/chavales son muy inquietos” .In English, there is the next sentence; “friend”-“dude”.

”You are my best friend/dude” there are exactly the same .Only it must focus on the

environment where are said.

Another way to appreciate synonymy is thought paraphrases of the sentences that refer

to change the same sentences .However, this change cannot affect the sense of the sentence

otherwise, it could be created another one totally different to the first one .It must have the

same value in order that the main idea does not get lost which is the utterance meaning. In

order to demonstrate if it is true or not the following sentence express one idea just changing

the order of the word as: “Los solteros prefieren a las rubias “and “Las chicas con cabello

rubio son preferidas por los hombres.” As we can notice these sentences have never changed.

In fact, they maintain a general idea including English, such as James is the Richard’s father

and Richard is the James’s son. As it can be seen there are two sentences which are expressed

in a different way. Nevertheless, both the first one and the second one do not lose the main

idea.

As a result; synonymy has lots of types each one have some differences but they

almost always arrive to the same definition which is establishing two words with the same

meaning or sense. In addition, synonymy is quite difficult to find two words in a specific

language which are or accomplish all levels of analysis due to conceptual phenomena. It

means, the context or utterance meaning allows to accept or to refuse the synonymy between

two words.
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To sum up, antonyms and synonym are words that describe qualities or characteristics

of the noun. Both implies a deep analysis about their uses in order to understand in a better

way the particularities of each one. For example antonyms need relation in the case of

relational antonyms even though the traditional conception says that antonym is simply the

opposite of a word. In a first instance, we think that antonym do not have midpoint as in the

case of gradable antonym however, between hot and cold there is a midpoint. Besides,

antonyms not only have a multiple meanings with their own opposition but also can be created

from affixes.

Another important aspect about the relation among words is the synonym where some

author define it as a condition that every single word must have in order to be expressed with

the same meaning or almost the same in which the words are different either in pronunciation

or in grammar structure .It could have the same or identical meaning as another word or

phrase .Otherwise, the word or phrase can be directly affected changing the sense or the idea

that is the reason why it is quite important to recognize what words are going to be used in

order to replace the first word already established. In fact, it is a careful process due to the

types of synonyms that exist understanding word’s environment, words’ origin and

grammatical structure of each one allowing us to apply several words in several context,

without affecting the precious ideas.

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