Semantics and Pragmatics

Synonymy
 Synonyms:
- Big
- Small
- Cute
- Woman
- Autum
- Elevator
- man
 Synonymy
 “Sameness of meaning”
 Sets of words that have the same meaning, synonymous
synonyms.
There are no real synonyms, no two words have exactly the same
meaning.

1) Sets of synonym belong to different dialects of the language.

Fall (USA and Britain) Autumn (other places).
2) Different styles or registers: “ nasty smell”
obnoxious effluvium (posh)– horrible stink (colloquial)
Grades of formality: gentlemen, man, chap
Pass away, die, pop off
Spouse, wife
 Synonymy
3) Words collocationally restricted, they occur in
conjunction with other words. It is not a matter of meaning but
the company they keep.
E.g. Addle eggs - addle brains
E.g.My big sister / My large sister

4)Words that are close in meaning (interchangeable).

(dictionary)
Mature- adult-ripe-mellow-perfect
 Synonymy
 It’s been suggested that true
synonyms should be interchangebale in
all environment (but what has been
found is that some words are
interchangeable in certain
environment)
Deep /profound
- Sympathy

- water
 Antonyms
 Antonyms are words of the same language
belonging to the same part of speech which are
opposite in meaning. However, there are
different ways in which one word is opposed to
another word; it is possible to identify different
types of relationships under the general label
of opposition.
Root antonyms
1. Root (absolute) antonyms.

a. Antonyms proper. Proper (absolute) antonyms may be

characterized as contrary. They are polar members of a
gradual opposition which may have intermediary
elements.
E.g. beautiful – pretty – good-looking – plain – ugly.
b. Complementary antonyms. Complementarity is a binary
opposition; it may have only two members. The denial of
one member means the assertion of the other. E.g. not
male means female, not true means false.
c. Relational antonyms (converses). Converses denote one
and the same subject as viewed from different points of
view (e.g. subject and object, family and social relations,
space and time relations, etc.).
E.g. borrow – lend, husband – wife, before – after.
Derivational antonyms
2. Derivational antonyms.
E.g. happy – unhappy, known – unknown.

 The affixes in derivational antonyms deny the quality

stated in the stem. There are typical affixes that form
these derivational antonyms (see above Derivation). The
regular type of derivational antonyms contains negative
prefixes: dis-, il- /im-/in-/ir and un. Derivational
antonyms may be characterized as contradictory. A pair
of derivational antonyms forms a binary opposition (see
above complementary root antonyms). E.g. logical –
illogical, appear – disappear.