SEMINAR_5 по лексикологии

SEMINAR 5

Synonymy

Items for discussion:

1. Definition of synonyms.

2. Criteria of synonymy.

3. Classification of synonyms.

4. Sources of synonymy.

5. Euphemisms.

Antonymy

Items for discussion:

1. Definition of antonyms.

2. Classification of antonyms.

3. Converseness.

The List of Recommended Literature:

1. Antrushina G.B. English Lexicology. – M.: Drofa, 2004. (Ch. 10,11)

2. Arnold I.V. The English Word. – M., 1966. (Ch. X)

3. Ginsburg R.S. A Course in Modern English Lexicology. – M.: Vyssaya Skola, 1979. (pp. 51-64)

4. Вилюман В.Г. Английская синонимика. – М.: Высшая школа, 1980.

TASKS FOR SEMINAR 5

1. Be ready to speak on the suggested items for discussion (3-5 minutes).

2. Learn the working definitions of principal concepts:

Synonyms – two or more words beloning to the same part of speech and characterized by semantic and functional similarity, interchangeable in at least some contexts.

Stylistic synonyms – words that are similar in their denotative meanings but different in their connotations or (and) stylistic sphere of application.

Ideographic synonyms – synonyms which differ in denotative components.

Contextual synonyms – words that are similar in meaning only under some specific distributional conditions.

Synonymic doninant – the most general word of the synonymic set potentially containing the specific features rendered by all the other members of the synonymic set.

Euphemism – a word or phrase used to replace a harsh, obscene, indelicate or otherwise unpleasant word or expression by a conventionally more acceptable one.

Antonymy – semantic opposition, contrast.

Antonyms – words different in sound and characterized by semantic contrast of their denotative meanings.

Contradictory antonyms – words so opposed to each other that they are mutually exclusive and admit no possibility between them. The denial of one member of the contradictory opposition implies the assertion of the other.

Contrary antonyms – words so opposed to each other that the language admits possibilities between them and beyond them. The denial of one member of the contrary opposition does not necessarily imply the assertion of the other.

Conversives – words denoting referent as viewed from different points of view, that of the subject and that of the object.

3. Make sure that you can answer the following questions:

1. Why are synonyms one of the language’s most important expressive means?

2. How are synonyms traditionally defined? On what criterion is this definition based?

3. What main groups are synonyms divided into? Illustrate your answer with examples.

4. Which word in a synonymic group is considered to be the synonymic dominant? What are its characteristic features?

5. What are the main sources of synonymy?

6. Which word is called euphemism? What function do they perform in speech?

7. What words do we usually classify as antonyms? Give your own examples of such words.

8. Why can antonyms be regarded as an important group of the language’s expressive means?

9. Which parts of speech do most antonyms belong to?

10. What is the traditional classification of antonyms? Illustrate your answer with examples.

11. What antonyms are classified as contraries? Illustrate your answer with examples.

12. What antonyms are classified as contradictories? Illustrate your answer with examples.

13. What is understood by “conversive”?

14. What makes converseness a type of paradigmatic relationship different from antonymy?