5_oppositions

5. Grammatical categories as sets of oppositions

In discussing grammatical categories, we shall often have to mention oppositions, that is, pairs of grammatical forms opposed to each other in some way. The correlated elements (members) of the opposition must possess two types of features: common features and differential features. Common features serve as the basis of contrast, while differential features immediately express the function in question.

3 main qualitative types of oppositions were established:

• Binary Privative (is formed by a contrastive pair of members in which one member is characterized by the presence of a certain differential feature (strong, marked, positive), while the other member is characterized by the absence of the feature (weak, unmarked, negative)) The meaning of the weak member is more general and abstract as compared with the meaning of the strong member, which is more particular and specific.

• Gradual (is formed by a contrastive group of members, which are distinguished not by the presence/absence of a distinctive feature, but by degree of it.)

• Equipollent (is formed by a contrastive …… in which the members are distinguished by a different positive feature. ex. The category of person – am / is / are)The cat. of gender – he / she / it)

Neutralization & Transposition of opp-ns.

Neutralization of opp-ns takes place, when the weak member of a primitive opp-n is used in the meaning of a strong member.( ex. Present tense :: future tense Weak member strong member)The pres. simple is used in the meaning of the future t. (Tomorrow we start for London)

Transposition – when the strong member of a privative opp-n is used in the meaning of a weak member.

(ex. You are always asking one & the same questions)

The meaning is that of repeated action, not a continuous.