2.1 Discourse functions of antonyms

Storjohann, referring to Steven Jones, differentiates among eight major discourse functions of antonyms, two of which are considered to be the most important ones [ 18, p. 50 ].

2.1.1 Ancillary antonymy

The most common function of antonyms is to draw attention to a contrast. So in this way, the «A-pair» demands that we interpret «B-pair» in a contrastive way, regardless of whether it has any innate opposition in it. Storjohann juxtaposes the relation of opposition in two antonymic pairs: the opposition between bad and good, where the opposition is more direct, and in antonymic pair competition and restraint of trade, where the opposition is enforced by its proximity. This difference may be traced from the following sentence, where these two pairs of antonyms are used:

1. European nations had legally accepted the principle that competition is good, restraint of trade bad [18, p. 51].

This function of antonymy is of principal importance, as long as people generally conceptualize in terms of binary oppositions. Apart from this, ancillary antonymy is widely exploited by people, consciously or subconsciously, in the situations of different kinds. For instance, as Steven Jones says, ancillary antonymy is often used in politics in order to enforce and affirm some kind of contrast between two ideologies or parties:

2. The issue at the next elaction will be between fair taxation under Labour and unfair taxation under the Conservatives’, he said.

3. Communism may be dead, but fascism most assuredly alive [16, p.49].

In the sentence (2) we may clearly see that Labour Party is associated with fair taxation whereas Conservatives’ Party – with unfair taxation. In the sentence (3) ancillary antonyms serve to establish and assure the difference between the ideologies of communism and fascism: here the two ideologies are shown in opposition.

Besides, ancillary antonymy is a common thing in journalism, especially when it comes to necessity to highlight the contrast between certain people:

4. Kennedy dead is more interesting than Clinton alive.

5. Mrs Thatcher has been a lucky prime-minister, Mr Heath was an unlucky one [16, p.49]

Here, in the following sentences, antonymic pairs are used to prove a more instantially important difference between two individuals. Besides, it is worthy to note that in the above sentences these individuals are co-hyponyms of a specific superordinate: both Mrs Thatcher and Mr Heath were prime-ministers whereas Kennedy and Clinton – presidents [16, p.49]. In the sentence (4) the antonymous adjectives dead and alive though not directly refer to the contrasted features of the individuals , but still they serve comparably as long as dead and alive help us to reveal the contrast between two presidents.

Steven Jones singles out also such a subtype of ancillary antonyms as geographic antonyms. In this case the antonyms serve to reinforce contrast between either places or nationalities. In the sentence (6) the constrast is established between two cities whereas in the sentence (7) the difference between inhabitants of places is stressed:

6. Munich was widely hailed as a success, Reykjavik a failure.

7. A separate poll of consumers in the US and Japan showed growing optimism among Americans in contrast to deepening pessimism in Japanese population [16, p.50].

Temporal subtype of ancillary antonymy concerns the passage of time. In the following sentence the past ( largerly behind) and the future ( to come) stand in contrast:

8. The bad news is now largerly behind, the good news is to come[ 16, p.50].

There may be also a contrast in quantitative terms. In this case either numeric or quantitative properties are contrasted:

9. On the question of extanding the embargo to cover food and medical supplies, 40 per cent agree but 45 per cent disagree[ 16, p.50].

Also an interesting case, where antonymy occurs together with synonymy, is distinguished by Steven Jones [ 16, p.51]. There are rather near-synonyms, which are referred to the objects that are contrasted, and antonymic pairs, which establish this contrast. In this sentence below the antonymic pair provides a contrast between nearly synonymic notions – acquaintances and friends.

10. Archer was a formal, eccentric man, long on acquaintances and short on friends[ 16, p.51].

All in all, Ancillary Antonymy accounts for the largest proportion of antonym usage, and there is a great number frames, where antonyms fulfilling this function are inserted into ready-made slots [18, p.60].