Semantic Relations and the Lexicon: Antonymy, Synonymy and other Paradigms

304 Pages·2003·1.48 MB·English

by  M. Lynne Murphy

This page intentionally left blank
SemanticRelationsandtheLexicon
SemanticRelationsandtheLexiconexploresthemanyparadigmaticsemantic
relationsbetweenwords,suchassynonymy,antonymyandhyponymy,and
theirrelevancetothementalorganizationofourvocabularies.Drawingona
century’sresearchinlinguistics,psychology,philosophy,anthropologyand
computerscience,LynneMurphyproposesanew,pragmaticapproachtothese
relations. Whereas traditional approaches to the lexicon have claimed that
paradigmaticrelationsarepartofourlexicalknowledge,DrMurphyargues
thattheyconstitutemetalinguisticknowledge,whichcanbederivedthrough
asinglerelationalprinciple,andmayalsobestoredaspartofourconceptual
representation of a word. Part I shows how this approach can account for
thepropertiesoflexicalrelationsinwaysthattraditionalapproachescannot,
andPartIIexaminesparticularrelationsindetail.Thisbookwillserveasan
informative handbook for all linguists and cognitive scientists interested in
thementalrepresentationofvocabulary.
lynne murphy is Lecturer in Linguistics and English Language at the
University of Sussex, with research interests in the structure of the mental
lexicon, gradable adjective meaning, and psycho-social constraints on the
semanticdevelopmentofsocialgrouplabels.

Semantic Relations and
the Lexicon
Antonymy, Synonymy, and Other Paradigms
M.LynneMurphy
UniversityofSussex
  
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo
Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge  , United Kingdom
Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521780674
© M. Lynne Murphy 2003
This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of
relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place
without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2003
- 
isbn-13 978-0-511-06899-7 eBook (EBL)
- 
isbn-10 0-511-06899-9 eBook (EBL)
- 
isbn-13 978-0-521-78067-4 hardback
- 
isbn-10 0-521-78067-5 hardback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of
s for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not
guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
ForMom,Dad,andGeorgia

Contents
Acknowledgments pageviii
Symbolsandtypographicalconventions ix
PartI Paradigmaticrelations,generally
1. Whylexicalrelations? 3
2. Apragmaticapproachtosemanticrelations 25
3. Otherapproaches 61
PartII Paradigmaticrelations,specifically
4. Synonymyandsimilarity 133
5. Antonymyandcontrast 169
6. Hyponymy,meronymy,andotherrelations 216
7. Lexiconandmetalexicon:implicationsandexplorations 237
Appendix:Relationelements 243
Notes 245
References 254
Index 274
vii
Acknowledgments
The theoretical perspective developed in this work is the great-great grand-
daughterandsecondcousinthriceremovedofideaspresentedinmydoctoral
dissertation. My first thanks thus go to my committee, Georgia Green, Jerry
Morgan, Greg ‘No Relation’ Murphy, and Ladislav Zgusta, for their roles in
gettingtheseideasgoing.
Since then, I have enjoyed the kind attention of many who have read
and commented upon drafts of various sections, particularly Roger Chaffin,
RichardCoates,AlanCruse,LarryHorn,SteveJones,AdrienneLehrer,Wiltrud
Mihatsch,CaritaParadis,GeoffSampson,andanonymousreviewers.Theirad-
vice was always appreciated – and almost always followed. Darren Pearce
helpedimmenselywithsomeimprovisedcorpussoftware.Apologiestothose
whosecontributionshavegoneunnoticedhere,andabjectapologiestoanyone
whosecommentsImayhavemisrepresented.Thereisnoonebutmetoblame
foranyfaultsinthiswork.
Christine Bartels and Andrew Winnard have been attentive, helpful, and
graciouseditorsatthebeginningandendofthisproject,respectively.Baylor
Universityprovidedfundingintheearlieststages,andtheDictionarySocietyof
NorthAmerica’sUrdangAwardsupportedtheresearchonsynonymy.Friends
andfamilysupportedthisworkwiththeirencouragement,guilt-trips,anddis-
tractions.Duringthewriting,AllisonSmithandStanAppswerecentralchar-
actersinalloftheabove.PhilVinertookcenterstageintheeditingstage,and
forthatIwillalwaysbethankful.
This book is dedicated to Georgia Green, who shaped the way I write and
inspiredthewayIsupervisemyownstudents,andtomyparents,Nancyand
PaulMurphy,whotaughtmetofinishwhatIstart–evenifithastakenaslong
as one of Dad’s home-improvement projects. Thank you Georgia, Mom, and
Dad.
viii