JANUS WORDS

February 5, 2010 at 10:13 pm (Language, Papers)

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to examine the phenomenon of contronyms, also known as auto-antonyms, autantonyms, antagonyms, self-antonyms and Janus Words. Contronyms are words that are their own antonyms. (Note: here the term “contronym” is used to denote not only the word itself, but also the contradiction between its two different meanings).

I first became interested in the phenomenon while reading Jane Austin’s “Pride and Prejudice”, where I encountered the use of the word “terrific” in its old, literal sense. Interestingly for me, there is a Hebrew word with a similar meaning (“נורא”), that went through a similar transformation process, although this happened much more recently (Hebrew being a revived language), and over much shorter period of time than had happened to its English counterpart. There is also a similar case in Russian (from which modern Hebrew speakers may have borrowed), but it is not used as often as in Hebrew. And, unlike in English, in neither Hebrew nor Russian has the word abandoned its original, “terrible” meaning.

For the purpose of this paper I am only interested in contronyms with common etymology (i.e. polysemy), as opposed to true homophones whose meanings are contradictory, such as the verbs “cleave”, “buckle” and “let”. The reason is that the latter seem to have acquired their identical spellings more or less accidentally, rather than as a result of cultural and psychological shifts through which the English-speaking societies went over certain periods of time. It is these shifts and their influence on language that interest me the most, and that I would like to begin to examine.

Read the rest.

Permalink Leave a Comment

BEEN THERE, DIDN’T SEE THE MOVIE.אין חדש ברקטום של השמש

October 11, 2009 at 4:46 pm (Commentary, דעות)

The SCARE is dead(ish), long live the next SCARE?

——————

מעוז האמת והיושרה הבריטי נכנע גם הוא לטפיחות המציאות על פניו, שלא לדבר על לחץ הנתונים המדעיים. השאלה שנשאלת עכשיו היא: מה תהיה ההיסטריה הבאה, וכמה זמן בדיוק יקח להיסטריה הנוכחית לשקוע בתהומות הזכרון האנושי, ממנו אין חזרה? כאן יש כמה רעיונות מעניינים

Permalink 8 Comments

AND WHILE I’M AT IT…ואם כבר

October 10, 2009 at 8:18 pm (Commentary, דעות)

Upon reflection, I think all the mockery will cease when Barack Obama walks across the Atlantic Ocean to accept His prize.

SI again, quoting.

——————

אני חושב שהלעג ייפסק כאשר ברק אובמה יצעד על פני האוקיינוס האטלנטי כדי לקבל את הפרס

Permalink Leave a Comment

I HAD TO STEAL THIS : הייתי מוכרחה לגנוב את זה

October 10, 2009 at 7:27 pm (Commentary, דעות)

A prize named for the inventor of dynamite goes to a friend of Bill Ayers.

Seen here quoting someone on PJM.

——————

.פרס הקרוי על שמו של ממציא הדינמיט ניתן לחברו של ביל איירס

Permalink Leave a Comment

גשם באפריקה

September 16, 2009 at 12:13 am (חיים)

.בקרוב אצלנו. שנה טובה וגשומה לכולנו

Permalink Leave a Comment

לאטמה

September 13, 2009 at 11:19 pm (דעות)

Permalink Leave a Comment

QUOTE. ציטוט ЦИТАТА.

September 13, 2009 at 11:34 am (Commentary, Мнения, Переводы, דעות, תרגומים)

“The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates”.

Tacitus.

——————

.ככל שהממשל יותר מושחת, כך הוא מחוקק יותר

.טקיטוס

—————-

Чем безнравственнее правительство, тем больше законов оно издает.

Тацит.

Permalink 4 Comments

Next page »