Binary and Non-binary antonym

Binary also called hemispheric antonym is two words that opposite and cannot be measured. Like On and Off in
an electric light or a radio or television set is either on or off. See the circle above, dead and live. These words are
called binary because if the word ‘dead’ is ‘alive’ as it’s opposite. Binary antonyms do not accept modifiers— an
organism is either dead or alive, a door is either open or shut, a floor is either clean or dirty, one is either asleep or
awake. But in language is not logic. Quite dead, very much alive, wide open, slightly dirty are meaningful
expressions. Whereas Non-binary are also called polar antonym is the two word that opposite and can be
measured or related with exact measurement. The terms old and young are non-binary antonyms and so are wide
and narrow. They are opposite ends of a scale that includes various intermediate terms.

Example : Mr Adams may be neither old nor young, the road may be something between wide and narrow. Non-
binary antonyms are also called polar antonyms; like the North and South Poles, they are at opposite ends with
territory between them.

A comparison of four relations

Synonyms Hyponym and Superordinate

(p) Jack is a seaman. (p) Rover is a collie,

(q) Jack is a sailor. (q) Rover is a dog.

P <—> Q ~P <—> ~Q P <—> Q ~Q <—> ~P

(The symbol <—> indicates double entailment: the truth of [p] entails the truth of [q], and the truth of [q] entails the
truth of [p].)

Non-binary antonyms Binary antonyms

(p) Luke is rich. (p) The window is open,

(q) Luke is poor. (q) The window is closed,

P —-> ~Q Q —-> ~P P <—-> ~Q ~P —–> Q

We see from this table that synonyms and binary antonyms are mirror images of each other: if one of two
sentences containing synonyms is true, the other is true; if one is false, the other is false. Of two sentences with
binary antonyms, if one is true, the other is false, and if one is false, the other is true. Non-binaries are like bïnaries
in that the truth of either member of the pair entails the falsity of the other member, but unlike binary antonyms,
both members of a non-binary pair can be false. Hyponym and superordinate form a still different pair: the truth of
the hyponym entails the truth of the superordinate, and the falsity of the superordinate entails the falsity of the
hyponym.

Converse antonyms

Converseness is a kind of antonymy between two terms. For any two converse relational terms X and Y, if [a] is
the X of [b], then [b] is the Y of [a].

Converse pairs, include kinship and social roles (husband-of/ wifeof, employer-of/employee-of) and directional
opposites (above/ below, in front of/behind; left-of/right-of; before/after, north-of/south-of;outside/inside).

Example : 20a The map is above the chalkboard.

20b The chalkboard is below the map.

Converse Argument Predicate If A gives X to B, B receives X from A. All three of these pairs of predicates are
built around the relationship.

Example : 22a Dad lent me a little money.

22b I borrowed a little money from Dad.

Converse sentence in which the original object becomes subject, the verb is passive, and the agent may be deleted.

Example : 23a Danny broke a window.

23b A window was broken (by Danny).

24a Olga wrote a marvelous essay.

24b A marvelous essay was written (by Olga).

25a Simon climbed the wall.

25b The wall was climbed (by Simon).

Expressions of quantity

Quantifiers like all, no, some, many, few. The meanings of some, many (or much in uncountable noun phrases),
and few (little in uncountable NPs) are vague, and the vagueness exists by tacit agreement of the language
community. In a group of 10 items, a few is 2, 3, or perhaps 4; many, or a lot, is 9, 8, or maybe 7; and some is any
number from 2 to 9. A speaker can employ these terms in an acceptable way without necessarily knowing the
exact quantity, and an addressee accepts the terms without necessarily expecting to know the exact quantity.
Logically, all includes some, few and many.

Consider, first, a two-argument predicate like chase and a subject that includes all.

ALL

39a All dogs chase cats —–> All collies chase cats
39b All collies chase cats ~ —–> All dogs chase cats

The quantifier no also expresses a totality, but it has a somewhat different role in entailment.

NO

40a No dogs chase cats = No collies chase cats

40b No collies chase cats ~ = No dogs chase cats

SOME

(a) Some dogs chase cats ~ = Some collies chase cats

(b) Some collies chase cats ~ = Some dogs chase cats

FEW

(a) Few dogs chase cats ~ = Few collies chase cats

(b) Few collies chase cats ~ = Few dogs chase cats

MANY
(a) Many dogs chase cats ~ = Many collies chase cats

(b) Many collies chase cats ~ = Many dogs chase cats

Exercise !!!

Binary and Non-binary

Practice 1

Identify among the following pairs of antonyms, which are binary and which are non-binary?

True – False

Tall – Short

Expensive – Cheap

Pass – Fail

Cold – Hot

Happy – Unhappy

Answer!!
Binary

True – False

Pass – Fail

Non-binary

Tall – Short

Expensive – Cheap

Cold – Hot

Happy – Unhappy

Practice 2

Give an antonym for the adjective in each of the following collocations:

A light package

A light color

A tall building

A thick board
Hard problem

Answer

1) A heavy packages

2) A dark color

3) A short building

4) A thin board

5) An easy problem

Practice 3

What is the antonym of raw in the following?

raw fruit, raw materials, raw weather

Answer

Raw fruit : ripe fruit

Raw materials : natural resources

Raw weather : Sunny weather

A comparison of four relations

Practice 4

Identify the sentence below, which one is synonym, hyponym superordinate, binary and non-binary. Complete it
each other!

George is a male.

I passed the final exam.

Chloe is an angora.

Rosa is happy

Answer

1.Synonim

George is a male

George is a man

Binary

I passed the final exam

I failed the final exam

Hyponym Superordinate

Chloe is an angora

Chloe is a cat
Non- binary

Rosa is happy

Rosais fairly unhappy