Cover not available

Article published In: Terminology
Vol. 22:1 (2016) ► pp.30–51

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF
authorization required

Opposite relationships in terminology

Published online: 19 May 2016
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/term.22.1.02gag
This article studies a family of semantic relationships that is often ignored in terminological descriptions, i.e. opposite relationships that include, but are not limited to, antonymy. We analyze English and French terms classified in an environmental database as opposites (Eng. polluting; green, afforestation; deforestation; Fr. réchauffer; refroidir, atténuation; intensification) and revise this first classification based on typologies and criteria supplied by literature on lexical semantics, psycholinguistics and corpus linguistics. Our revised classification shows that diversified opposite relationships can be observed between terms. They also appear to display the same complexity as in general language. Finally, in some cases, the nature of concepts in the specific subject field must be taken into consideration.
References (22)
Amsili, Pascal. 2003. “L’antonymie en terminologie: quelques remarques.” In Terminologie et Intelligence Artificielle (TIA), 31–40, Strasbourg, France.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Atkins, BT Sue, and Michael Rundell. 2008. The Oxford Guide to Practical Lexicography. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cruse, D. Alan. 1986. Lexical Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cruse, D Alan. 2001. “Paradigmatic Relations of Exclusion and Opposition II: Reversivity.” In Lexicology: An International Handbook on the Nature and Structure of Words and Vocabularies ed. by Alan D. Cruse, Franz Hundsnurscher, Michael Job and Peter Rolf Lutzeier. 507–510. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cruse, D. Alan. 2011. Meaning in Language: An Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
DiCoEnviro. Dictionnaire fondamental de l’environnement ([URL]). Accessed 5 January 2015.
Fellbaum, Christiane. 1995. “Co-occurrence and Antonymy.” International Journal of Lexicography 8 (4): 281–303. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Jones, Steven. 2002. Antonymy: A Corpus-based Perspective. London; New York: Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kocourek. R. 1991. La langue française de la technique et de la science. Vers une linguistique de la langue savante. Wiesbaden: Oscar Brandstetter.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lehrer, Adrienne, and Keith Lehrer. 1982. “Antonymy.” Linguistics and Philosophy 5 (4): 483–501. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
León Araúz, Pilar, Ariane Reimerink, and Pamela Faber. 2009. “Knowledge Extraction on Multidimensional Concepts: Corpus Pattern Analysis (CPA) and Concordances.” In 8ème conférence internationale Terminologie et Intelligence Artificielle . Toulouse.
L’Homme, Marie-Claude. 2004. La terminologie: principes et techniques. Montréal: Presses de l’Université de Montréal. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lyons, John. 1995. Linguistic Semantics: An Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Marshman, Elizabeth, Marie-Claude L’Homme, and Victoria Surtees. 2008. “Portability of Cause-Effect Relation Markers across Specialized Domains and Text Genres: A Comparative Evaluation.” Corpora 3(2): 141–172 Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mel’čuk, Igor, André Clas, and Alain Polguère. 1995. Introduction à la lexicologie explicative et combinatoire. Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgique): Duculot / Aupelf - UREF.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Muehleisen, Victoria Lynn. 1997. Antonymy and Semantic Range in English. Dissertation. Northwestern University. ([URL]). Accessed 15 December 2014.
Murphy, M Lynne. 2003. Semantic Relations and the Lexicon. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Polguère, Alain. 2003. Lexicologie et sémantique lexicale: notions fondamentales. Montréal: Presses de l’Université de Montréal.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
SAAQ. 2014. “Définition de véhicule lourd.” In Véhicule lourd. ([URL]) Accessed 4 January 2014.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sager, Juan C. 1990. A Practical Course in Terminology Processing. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sager, Juan C., and Kyo Kageura. 1994. “Concept Classes and Conceptual Structures: Their Role and Necessity in Terminology.” ALFA: Terminology and Special Linguistics 7(8): 191–216.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
WordNet. A Lexical Database for English ([URL]). Accessed 1st June 2015.
Cited by (4)

Cited by four other publications

Lamberti Arraes, Flávia Cristina Cruz
2022. Descobrindo o léxico especializado no português brasileiro. Domínios de Lingu at gem 16:3 ► pp. 1146 ff. DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2020. Lexical Semantics for Terminology [Terminology and Lexicography Research and Practice, 20], DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2022. Morphologized concept ECO- in the processes of conceptual derivation of the English ecological linguo-mental units. Mìžnarodnij fìlologìčnij časopis 13:2 DOI logo
[no author supplied]
2022. Theoretical Perspectives on Terminology [Terminology and Lexicography Research and Practice, 23], DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 6 december 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue