Introduction In this essay I will be discussing different ideas within the concept of sense relations that are relevant to the group of adjectives in focus. It will include ideas on Antonymy; particularly focusing on the gradable type and Synonymy- to what extent, considering denotation components, levels of intensity, expressing overstatement and connotations. I will compare the definitions of these adjectives using sourced dictionaries and discuss whereabouts they place within the sense relation categories above. Sense relations describe the relationship between certain lexical items in terms of meaning (Crystal, 1997: 164). I will also discuss any other possible additions to the group and the reasoning behind the words chosen, along with considering the arrangement of the adjectives.
Gradable Antonyms Antonyms can be defined as lexical items with opposite meanings (Crystal, 1997: 165). For example, the antonym of word A is word B and the same would be true vice versa. There are different types of Antonyms to consider, one type in particular is Gradable Antonyms. Gradable Antonyms are adjectives that can be directly compared to one another and do not describe ‘absolute qualities’ (Crystal, 1997: 165), for example ‘long’ and ‘short’, ‘early’ and ‘late’. These pairs are all scalable- if something is not long this does not mean it is short, therefore there must be a cline between these pairs of antonyms, meaning they are simply the end points on a scale of quality. The same is true for the adjectives in focus- the antonyms ‘cold’ and ‘hot’. There is a cline between them that demonstrates how these are gradable, e.g. to get from ‘hot’ to ‘cold’ there exists the qualities ‘cool’, ‘lukewarm’ then ‘warm’. Often gradable antonyms are expandable at each end, for example the adjective ‘frozen’ is at the beginning of the scale which can be understood as one increment above the adjective ‘cold’. Similarly, the adjective ‘boiling’ could potentially be placed after ‘hot’ at the end of the scale, thus also expressing an antonym of ‘frozen’.
Gradable Antonyms look similar to Binary Antonyms only Binary Antonyms do not have a gradation but describe definite qualities- if something is not A, it must be B, for example, ‘girl’ and ‘boy’. Binary antonyms are “mutually exclusive” and are not dependent on each other (English Language Centre, 2013). Lexical items directly next to each other on a cline between two gradable antonyms are described as Synonyms. Synonyms can be defined as lexical items with the same meanings (Crystal, 1997: 164)- this is arguably a rather simplified definition of the concept of synonymy, with several factors contributing to how ‘synonymous’ two or more lexical items might be. With this in mind, the central adjectives on a gradable scale- often sounding ‘neutral’- can be classified as synonyms of either side of the scale. For example, ‘lukewarm’ could be a synonym of ‘cool’ to its left, or ‘warm’ to its right, depending on perspective and context. Correspondingly, the adjective ‘cold’ is synonymous with both ‘frozen’ and ‘cool’.
Denotation Components Another, slightly more detailed, definition of a synonym is ‘a word or phrase that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or phrase in the same language’ (dictionary.cambridge.org, 2019). The word ‘nearly’ is crucial here, as stated above there are multiple factors that come into play when discussing synonymy- the idea of perfect synonyms does not exist (Crystal, D. 1997: 164). Denotation components are one of these contributing factors. Often a group of synonyms can each differ slightly in terms of their denotations- for example one might express a broader concept while another is more specific. In the group of adjectives in focus, the synonyms ‘cold’ and ‘cool’ have similar meanings and in some cases may be interchangeable, however, the components that make up their denotations show how they differ in meaning. According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, ‘cold’ has quite a general definition- “something that is cold has a low temperature”, whereas ‘cool’ is defined as “low in temperature, but not cold, often in a way that feels pleasant” (www.ldoceonline.com, 2019). This demonstrates how meaning components of two synonyms prevent them from being perfectly synonymous (with this definition questioning whether these two words are synonyms at all, stating in the definition that ‘cool’ is “not cold”.) ‘Cool’ in many cases suggests a pleasant level of low temperature, whereas ‘cold’ does not suggest either pleasantness or unpleasantness- it is rather an objective definition and does not imply a particular emotive feeling. Other definitions of ‘cool’ include; “slightly cold in a pleasant way”, “slightly too cold” (dictionary.cambridge.org, 2019) and referring to food, cool can mean “no longer hot” (www.macmillandictionary.com, 2019). The latter two definitions also show how ‘cool’ is a synonym of ‘lukewarm’, with the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English defining ‘lukewarm’ as “slightly warm and often not as hot or cold as it should be”. Therefore, ‘cool’ and ‘lukewarm’ both share components suggesting undesirable temperature and unpleasantness.
Levels of Intensity and Overstatement It can be argued that ‘frozen’, ‘cold’, ‘cool’ are on a declining scale of intensity. ‘Cold’ is defined as an adjective meaning having “a very low temperature or a lower temperature than is normal or acceptable” (www.collinsdictionary.com, 2019). ‘Frozen’ has multiple definitions depending on context, in this case the following seems applicable- “If you say that you are frozen… you are emphasizing that you feel very cold” (www.collinsdictionary.com, 2019). The use of the intensifying adverb ‘very’ here before the adjective indicates the cline of intensity, placing ‘frozen’ relatively one step above ‘cold’. Using its synonym ‘cold’ alone would not be enough to define it, further description is needed in order to portray the intensity of the temperate. Furthermore, the Collins Dictionary states “something that is cool has a temperature which is low but not very low” (www.collinsdictionary.com, 2019), again ‘very’ is used in the definition, only this time paired with the adverb ‘not’ in order to weaken the intensity and place it relatively a step below ‘cold’.
In addition, gradable antonyms and their synonyms are often used to express overstatement, for example the adjective ‘frozen’ can be used to exaggerate the intensity of the temperature. Someone might say ‘my feet are frozen!’ when they are not actually experiencing the primary definition of ‘frozen’- “turned into ice” (dictionary.cambridge.org, 2019). However, a secondary definition from the Collins Dictionary says when you use the adjective ‘frozen’ you could be “emphasizing that you feel very cold”. As it is so commonly used (originally as an overstatement) it has to be recognised as an alternative definition. Likewise, its antonym ‘boiling’ in the Macmillan dictionary has the secondary definition “extremely hot”, also recognised as a widely used expression to stress temperature intensity. Someone might say ‘I am boiling’ when again, the primary definition of boiling is “…become so hot that there are bubbles in it and it is becoming a gas” (www.macmillandictionary.com, 2019). Therefore, they are not actually experiencing this process but rather expressing overstatement.
Connotations Synonymous adjectives can imply very contrasting feelings, emotions and ideas (Crystal, 1997: 164). To ‘let something cool’ is often purposeful and deliberate, maybe in order to make something easier to consume- it is somewhat positive. Whereas, for something to have ‘gone lukewarm’ implies negativity, an accidental, unwanted happening; thus demonstrating how these synonyms are not perfect reflections of meaning. ‘Lukewarm’ is defined as “not hot or cold enough to be enjoyable” (www.macmillandictionary.com, 2019) indicating the negative connotation of unpleasantness it holds. Another potential addition to the list of adjectives is ‘tepid’, defined as “not very warm” (dictionary.cambridge.org, 2019). ‘Tepid’ can be synonymous with both ‘cool’ and ‘lukewarm’ therefore would be placed between the two. A further definition describes ‘tepid’ as “slightly warm, especially in a way that seems unpleasant” (www.ldoceonline.com, 2019) which interestingly matches the negative connotation attached to ‘lukewarm’.
Comparably, if someone was to hand a cup of coffee to a friend they might say ‘Its hot’. ‘Hot’ here implys some level of danger, to have caution, whereas its synonym ‘warm’ does not suggest this at all. ‘Its warm’ may imply that the coffee is drinkable now- no threat- unlike ‘its hot’ which in many cases (depending on context) suggests something may not be safe to come into contact with, at least not without precaution. There are several definitions of ‘hot’, this one in particular demonstrates clearly the idea that synonyms can hold separate connotations- “if you feel hot, your body feels hot in a way that is uncomfortable” (www.ldoceonline.com, 2019). The use of the adjective ‘uncomfortable’ expresses a negative feeling, corresponding with the use of ‘hot’ in the first context above. On the contrary, ‘warm’ often gives off positive connotations of comfort and satisfaction and is defined as “slightly hot, especially in a pleasant way” (www.ldoceonline.com, 2019). It is not only used to describe temperature but also a person’s character. If someone is described as ‘warm’ this carries positive connotations and implies that they are caring and maybe even gentle in nature- “friendly and loving” (dictionary.cambridge.org, 2019). Whereas, ‘cool’ is sometimes used to describe the nature of a person in a negative light- “unfriendly or not showing kindness or interest in something or someone” (dictionary.cambridge.org, 2019).
Conclusion In summary, this group of adjectives is not conclusive and the gradable antonyms ‘cold’ and ‘hot’ are simply beginning and end points of an expandable scale. The synonyms in this group may share a core definition but they differ in several ways, whether it be slightly varying denotations, connotations and attached feelings, differences in use in everyday contexts, expressions of intensity; yet this is not an exclusive list. The factors explored throughout this essay conclude that the idea of ‘perfect synonymy’ will likely always be unobtainable, but also call to question at which point does a lexical item become synonymous with another.
References:
CAMBRIDGE DICTIONARY, 2019. Available from: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ [Accessed January 2019]
COLLINS DICTIONARY, 2019. Available from: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/ [Accessed January 2019]
Crystal, D. 1997. 'The Structure of the Lexicon' inThe Cambridge Encyclopedia of The English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE, 2013. Antonyms. Available from: https://www.englishlc.com/antonyms [Accessed January 2019]
LONGMAN DICTIONARY, 2019. Available from: https://www.ldoceonline.com [Accessed January 2019]
MACMILLAN DICTIONARY, 2019. Available from: https://www.macmillandictionary.com [Accessed January 2019]
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