Analysis of Antonymy in The History of Indonesia by Steven Drakeley

By:

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF LETTERS UNIVERSITAS PADJADJARAN 2011

Chapter I Introduction 1.1. Overview According to Hurford (1983:1), semantics is the study of meaning in language. Semantics is the systematic study of meaning, and linguistic semantics is the study of how languages organize and express meanings (Kreidler, 1998: 3). Palmer (1976: 1) also states that semantics is the technical term used to refer to the study of meaning. According to many linguist definitions about semantics, it can be concluded that semantics is the study of meaning. Meaning is message in which every speaker wants to deliver through language. To communicate our feelings, opinions, facts and other expression, we use language. Language is very important in our live because of its function delivering messages or our intentions. Meaning consists in every single word, phrase, clause, sentence or even bigger which is paragraph. We can find a meaning in word which refers to any reference. However, not all kind of words have reference. Predicate is exception. Although predicates do not have any reference, they still have meaning. Traditionally, words have been categorized by their meanings (Carpenter: 20). There are some relations in meaning which can be identical, opposite, or ambiguous. These relations are called sense relation in semantics which are synonymy, antonymy, homonymy, polysemy, and hyponymy. They all are connected each other by meaning. We can easily identify a meaning of predicate by looking its relation with other word. For example, we can identify the meaning of a predicate dead by identifying the opposite predicate alive. In this mini research, writer wants to focus on opposite sense relation which is antonymy in The History of Indonesia book. Besides observing the antonym pairs, the writer also observes about kinds of antonym and how we can identify what kinds of antonym which predicates have.

1.2.

Problem Statement a. What is antonym of predicate in The History of Indonesia book? b. What kinds of antonym do predicates have? c. How can we indicate the kinds of antonym of predicates?

1.3.

Aims of Study a. To know antonym of predicate in The History of Indonesia book. b. To know kinds of antonym which predicates have. c. To describe the kinds of antonym of predicates.

1.4.

Benefit of the study Writer hopes that this mini research can enlarge knowledge of the writer herself and other students who want to make a further observation about antonymy. Besides, this mini research also provides more explanation about how we can identify kinds of antonymy.

Chapter II Literary Views 2.1 Semantics According to Hurford (1983:1), semantics is the study of meaning in language. Palmer also states that semantics is the technical term used to refer to the study of meaning (1976: 1). It can be concluded that semantics is the study of meaning. Every word in all languages has minimum a single meaning which refers to a referent. However, some linguistic forms make comments about references; these are predicates (Kreidler, 1998: 13). Although predicates do not refer to any references, they also have meanings.

2.1.1

Meaning Every single word has meaning. Meaning comes from human who identify

and interpret it. Words go together to form sentences which in turn are capable of conveying meaningsthe meanings of the individual words and the meaning that comes from the relation of these words to one another (Kreidler, 1998: 22). Meaning also comes from its relation to another word such as alive comes from dead, married comes from single and so on. These words have opposite sense relation.

2.1.2

Sense Relation Sense relation may come from predicates which have opposite and similar

sense and ambiguous which has more than one sense. These kinds of sense relation can be: a. antonym Antonym has opposite sense relation such as male and female. Male is sex which does not give birth. However, the term female is opposite with male which is sex that can give birth. b. Synonym

Synonym has same sense relation such as predicates fall and autumn which mean season of the year in which leaves are fall down. c. Plysemy Polysemy is a kind of sense relation which has more than one sense such as flight. Flight at least has more than one meaning which are passing through the air, power of flying, air journey etc. d. Homonymy Predicates which have two sense relation is homonym. Bark is a kind of homonym because it can mean bark of a dog and bark of a tree. e. Hyponymy Man and human is a kind of hyponymy (Hurford and Heasley, 1983: 95). In this min research, the writer just focuses on opposite sense relation antonymy.

2.1.3

Antonymy Simply, antonymy is oppositeness in meaning (Hurford and Heasley, 1983:

114). Predicates which have opposite meaning are bad and good. One can say something is good if it has great quality. However, something bad is it has low standard/quality. Pairs of words such as wide/narrow, old/young, big/small are antonyms (Palmer, 1976: 79). We can say that this home is big. It means that it is not small. This sentence can be interpreted according to context. Something can be said as big if there is one else which is smaller than it. Such adjectives can be graded in value. However, words such as single and married can not be graded. Therefore, antonym is divided into three. a. Binary Antonyms Binary antonyms are predicates which come in pairs and between them exhaust all the relevant possibilities (Hurford and Heasley, 1983: 114). Then, it can not make sense if one predicate is replaced by another for example married and single. To determine whether it is binary antonym or not, we can examined by using conditional sentence as it follows: If A is true, A can not be false, and

If A is false, A can not be true Predicates which are binary antonyms are definite. It can not be relative. For example, dead and alive are binary pairs. It can be examined by changing into a conditional sentence as it follows: If p If q ~q ~p They could not be alive They could not be dead.

If they were dead If they were alive

It means that if someone was dead, he/she might be not alive. If someone was alive, he/she might be not dead. There are only two possibilities without a third possibility or an intermediate position (Geeraerts, 2010: 86) which are dead and alive. Someone can not be half dead or half alive. Other examples of binary antonyms are same/different, married/single, true/false, male/female, and so on.

b. Gradable Antonyms Gradable antonyms are predicates that have opposite senses which can be graded. According to Hurford (1983: 118), two predicates are gradable antonyms if they are at opposite ends of a continuous scale of values Gradable antonym is measured by adding modifier such as very, rather, quite, extremely, and the like (Kreidler, 1998: 101). Hot and cold are gradable antonyms. It can be seen as it follows: p ~p ~q q The day is not cold The day is cold

The day is hot The day is not hot

It means that if today is hot, it can be not cold. Unfortunately, today is not hot, it does not mean cold because it can be cool. Some modifiers such as very can be added to gradable pairs for example very cold or extremely hot. Moreover, due to antonyms are gradable, there are often intermediate

terms (Palmer, 1976: 80). Therefore, there are terms like warm and cold between hot and cold. Gradable antonyms can be also examined by asking question which describes the degree of the gradable quality. We can say How tall are you? Or How far is your home?. The answer may be my home is further than you or I am shorter than you as mush as 45 cm. These examples are gradable antonyms. It is also show how we can determine whether it can be graded or not.

c. Converse If a predicate describes a relationship between two things and some other predicate describes the same relation when the two things are mentioned in the opposite order and the two predicates are converse each other (Hurford and Heasley, 1983: 116). If those two predicates are conversed and it still makes sense, so it is converse. For any two converse relational terms X and Y, if [a] is the X of [b], then [b] is the Y of [a] (Kreidler, 1998: 106). Pairs which are converses: before/after, above/below, give/receive, and so on. Words which are converse can be seen as it follows: If [a] p [b], [b] q [a] If I give you a pen, then you receive a pen from me. The other example is: X is the parent of Y. Y is the child of X.

Chapter III Discussion There are six selected words from the book entitled The History of Indonesia by Steven Drakeley. The words which are chosen are adjectives in order to know kinds of antonym they have. Data 1 His (Sukarno) presidency has a difficult and painful period in Indonesia's history. (The History of Indonesia: 83) It was easy for corrupt officials, European and indigenous to squeeze additional amounts out of the villagers. (The History of Indonesia: 40)

Difficult and easy are predicates which have opposite meaning. They are gradable antonyms because they are at opposite ends of a continuous scale of values (Hurford and Heasley, 1983: 118). Two words indicate a gradable antonym if they can show sense relation as it follows: The examination is difficult The examination is not difficult The examination is not easy The examination is easy

From sentences above, we can indicate that if the examination is difficult, it is not easy. Fortunately, the examination is not difficult. It does not mean that the examination is easy because it can be rather easy or very easy. Therefore, these words are kinds of gradable antonym. From the first sentence the presidency of Sukarno was a difficult period in Indonesia history, it means that his presidency could be not easy, not rather easy or not very easy to handle. From the second sentence It was easy for corrupt officials, European and indigenous to squeeze additional amounts out of the villagers, it means that squeezing officials, European and indigenous were not too difficult to do.

Data 2 He (Sukarno) also enjoyed good personal relationships with the Japanese authorities (The History of Indonesia: 83) For instance, falling asleep on the podium during a parliamentary sitting was very bad politics. (The History of Indonesia: 156)

Opposite meaning of good is bad. This sense relation can be seen as it follows: Your hand writing is good Your hand writing is not good Your hand writing is not bad Your hand writing is bad

These words are gradable antonyms. If your hand writing is good, it is not bad. Then, if your handwriting is not good, it does not mean your hand writing is bad. Maybe it is quite bad because I still can read it, for example. Gradable antonym is measured by adding modifier such as very, rather, quite, extremely, and the like (Kreidler, 1998: 101). The data show that He (Sukarno) enjoyed good personal relationships with the Japanese authorities. It means that Sukarno enjoy personal relationships which was not too bad or not quite bad, for example. Otherwise, falling asleep on the podium during a parliamentary sitting was not too good. From the context we can assert that those attitudes are bad which are not too good to do so.

Data 3 Untung stated that Sukarno was safe. (The History of Indonesia: 110)

He (Sukarno) made a crucial contribution during the delicate and dangerous condition. (The History of Indonesia: 84)

These words are binary pairs which exhaust all the relevant possibilities (Hurford and Heasley, 1983: 114). To indicate whether these words are binary antonyms or not, we can add a conditional word such as if. For example: If this animal is dangerous If this animal is not dangerous This animal is not safe. This animal is safe.

An animal is dangerous that we can not be much closer to it. If an animal is not dangerous, we can touch it because the condition is safe. It means that if Sukarno was safe, he must not be in a dangerous condition.

Data 4 A famous example of the value of Sukarno's unique personal authority at this juncture occurred on September 19. (The History of Indonesia: 84) Periods without a dominant power were not unknown in the region's history. (The History of Indonesia: 25)

Famous and unknown are gradable pairs. Some modifiers can be added to these adjectives such as very famous or rather famous. We can say that Oprah Winfrey is famous. However, not all people know her such as people in deep Jayapura which never watch TV, for example. So, this condition is applied in appropriate context.

Data 5 Many Peta and Hizbullah commanders also reformed their old units as best they could. (The History of Indonesia: 87) The new elites quickly assumed the habits and outlooks of those they had replaced. (The History of Indonesia: 87)

Opposite of old is new. It is gradable antonym because it can be graded. Explicitly, their units were older than the other units. Logically, the term old can be understood in term of being older. We can examine whether this is gradable or not as it follows: Her dress is old Her dress is not old Her dress is not new Her dress is new.

If her dress is old, it can be not new. However, the dress is not old. It seems oldish because its design, for example. So that it tends to be gradable antonym.

Data 6 For example, the central commander appointed by the government. (The History of Indonesia: 88) Many local commanders had forged business empires. (The History of Indonesia: 97)

Central and local are binary antonyms. It can be checked as it follows:. If government is the central commander, government is not the local commander. If governor is the local commander, governor is not the central commander.

In binary antonym, there is nothing to be graded because there are only two possibilities. To say something is NOT the one is to say that it is the other as government is not the local commander because it is the central commander.

Chapter IV Conclusion From the analysis above, the write conclude that: 1. Words which have opposite meaning are called antonymy such as difficult and easy, good and bad, dangerous and save, famous and unknown, old and new, central and local end so on. 2. There are three kinds of antonyms which are binary antonym, gradable antonym and converse. In this mini research, there are only two kinds of antonyms which are two pairs gradable antonyms and four pairs binary antonyms. 3. To indicate two words which are gradable antonyms, we can add some modifiers to the words such as (very) difficult, (quite) bad, (extremely) easy. To indicate two words which are binary pairs, we can check by saying something is NOT the one is to say that it is the other. Moreover, in binary pairs, there are only two possibilities. In converse, two words can be conversed and it still makes sense.

Bibliography Carpenter, B. Type-Logical Semantics. Drakeley, S. (2005). The History of Indonesia. New York, Greenwood Press. Geeraerts, D. (2010). Theories of Lexical Semantics. New York, Oxford University Press. Hurford, James R. (1983). Semantics: a Coursebook.. Great Britain: Cambridge University Press. Kreidler, C. W. (1998). Introducing English Semantics. London, Routledge. Palmer, F. R. (1976). Semantics a New Outline. Great Britain, Cambridge University Press.