Movchan D. V. Heterogeneous character of antonymic relations

Abstract

All the words in the language system, regardless of their context, are combined by paradigmatic relations, the
essence of which is common lexical meanings on the basis of some components and the opposition – on the basis
of other ones. Within paradigmatic relations there are different types of verbal oppositions. Contrasting
opposition based on the principle of contradistinction makes antonymic relationships. The article analyses the
relationships of opposites that is made explicit by German noun-antonyms, and the classification of investigated
units under the above-mentioned criteria is proposed. Inhomogeneous nature of semantic relations among
members of antonymic oppositions proves the existence of contrary, complementary, contradictive, convertible,
and reversible links.