CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

A. Background
Learning a language cannot be separated from learning the meaning of
language itself because when someone is learning a language, he also learns its
meaning. The meaning of a language can be seen in terms of the relationship of
meaning between words, namely the meaning of a word associated with the
meaning of another word.
In this case there are five major groups with regard to meaning relationships.
The first is the similarity of meaning relationships such as synonyms. The second is
a conflict of meaning relationships such as antonyms. The third is the equality of
words and sounds but different meanings such as homonym. The fourth two or
more words that still have a relationship like polysemy. And the last is the
relationship of two words, where the meaning of one word has meaning from other
words such as hyponym. This paper discusses the five meaning relationships that
do have a relationship with the meaning of semantics.

B. Problem of Formulation
1. What is definition of Semantics?
2. How about the sense relations definition?
3. What kind group of sense relations in semantics?

C. Purpose of the paper

Writing this paper to find out what the meaning of semantics, how about
definition of sense relations and kind group of sense relations in semantic, such as
synonymy, antonym, hyponym, homonym and polysemy.

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 CHAPTER II DISCUSSION

A. Semantics
1. Definition of Semantics
Semantics is the study of the meaning of words, phrases and sentences. In
semantic analysis, there is always an attempt to focus on what the words
conventionally mean, rather than on what a speaker might want the words to
mean on a particular occasion. This technical approach to meaning emphasizes
the objective and the general. It avoids the subjective and the local. Linguistic
semantics deal with the conventional meaning conveyed by the use of words and
sentences of a language.

B. The Sense Relations

Kreidler defines sense relations as “the relations of meaning between words, as
expressed in synonymy, antonym, homonymy, hyponymy and polysemy.”1 Sense
relations are one of important elements with regard to learning semantics, the study
of language meaning. In sense of relations there are five groups of meaning relations
with semantic relations, there are synonymy, antonym, homonymy, hyponymy and
polysemy.

1. Synonymy
Synonyms are when used in predictions with the same referring expression;
the predictions have the same truth value. Richards and Schmidt define
synonymy as “a word which has the same sense, or nearly the same as another
word.”2 Synonymy is used to mean sameness or close similarity of meaning.
Synonymy is a theory of meaning should account for the degree of similarity in
meaning between words, phrases and sentences, e.g., saunter and amble;
bachelor and unmarried male.

1
Kreidler, Charles W. Introducing English Semantics. London: Routledge, 1998. p. 303.
2
Richards, J.C. & R. Schmidt. Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and
Applied Linguistics. 3nd ed. London: Pearson Education Limited, 2002. p. 533.

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 For example:
The student speaks with a broad British accent 1
* The student speaks with a wide British accent.
The scouts are crossing a very deep river 2
* The scouts are crossing a very profound river.

2. Antonym
According to Cruse, antonym is “exemplified by such pairs as long: short,
fast: slow, easy: difficult, good: bad, hot: cold.”3 Antonym theory of meaning
should finally account for the contradictory or ‘opposite’ relations in meaning
between words, phrases and sentences.

There are three types of antonyms:

a. Polar Antonyms
This type of oppositeness can be easily modified with degree
modifiers such as very, rather, quite, slightly, extremely, and the like.

Example:

The essay is very long 3

The test is quite easy 4
His performance is not extremely bad 5

They can also be applied in the comparative or superlative degree as

in easy – easier – easiest; bad – worse – worst. Other characteristic of this
antonym is that a normal how-question can be applied only to one member of
a pair.

For Example:
How long is your essay? 6
But not: How short is your essay?

3
Cruse, D.A. Lexical Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995. p .204.

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 b. Equipollent Antonyms
This type of antonym refer to subjective sensations as hot: cold,
bitter: sweet, painful: pleasurable, or emotions as happy: sad, proud of:
ashamed of. Other characteristics are that normal how-question can be
applied to both terms of the pair as in (7) and (8).

For Example:
How hot is the weather? 7
How cold is the weather? 8

c. Overlapping Antonyms
Cruse states that “All overlapping antonym pairs have an evaluative
polarity as part of their meaning as good: bad, kind: cruel, clever: dull,
pretty: plain, polite: rude.”4 In this case how-question can be applied to both
terms of the pairs, but one term yields a neutral question and the other one a
committed question.

For Example:
How good is the performance? 9
How bad is your test score? 10

3. Homonymy
Richards and Schmidt define homonymy as “words which are written in
the same way and sound alike but which have different meanings.”5

For example:
Our house is on the west bank of the river 11
I want to save my first salary in the bank 12

4
Ibid., p. 166.
5
Richards, J.C. & R. Schmidt. (2002). Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching
and Applied Linguistics. 3nd ed. London: Pearson Education Limited, 2002. p. 241.

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 Bank in (11) and (12) are homonyms. They are written in the same way
and sound alike, but their meanings are different. In (11) bank refers to ‘the side
of a river and the land near it’, while in (12) it is ‘an organization that provides
various financial services’.

In the ball the prince invites Cinderella to dance 13

The boys like to play with the ball 14

In (13) and (14) ball are homonyms. They are spelled and pronounced in the
same way but have different meanings. Ball in (13) means ‘a large formal party
with dancing’, whereas in (14) it refers to ‘a round object used for throwing,
hitting or kicking in games and sports’.

4. Hyponymy
Hyponymy is a relation of meaning inclusion. It’s a matter of class
membership. Hyponymy is a theory of meaning should also predict when the
meaning of one word, phrase or sentence is included in the meaning of another
word, phrase or sentence. According to Richards and Schmidt, hyponymy is “a
relationship between two words, in which the meaning of one of the words
includes the meaning of the other word.”6

For example:

Dog and cat are hyponyms of animal

Sister and mother are hyponyms of woman

It is also can be seen in the relation between pigeon and bird, orchid and
flower. Pigeon is said to be a hyponym of bird, and orchid a hyponym of flower.
6
Ibid,. p. 243.

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 For example:
On the other hand, bird is said to be the super ordinate (also called
hyperonym) of pigeon, and flower the super ordinate of orchid. Hence, the class
of flower includes the class of orchid as one of its subclasses. Additionally,
flower is the general term that includes orchid and other types of flowers such
as rose and tulip. The relations among orchid, rose, and tulip are called co-
hyponyms.

5. Poly
semy
Richards and Schmidt define Polysemy as “word having two or more closely
related meanings.”7 It is sometimes difficult to distinguish homonymy from
polysemy because the later also deals with a pair of words which are written and
pronounced in the same way. The distinction between homonymy and polysemy
deals with the closeness or relatedness of the senses of between words. Thus,
homonymy deals with different meanings, whereas polysemy deals with related
meanings.

For example:
The sun is very bright today 15
She is a very bright student 16

In (15) bright means ‘shining’ and in (16) it means ‘intelligent’. The related
meanings are that the sense of bright student brings the sense of shine in that a
bright student usually shines his/her intelligence.

7
Ibid., p. 406.

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 Let us save our earth 17
The children filled the hole with soft earth 18

The same case occurs in sentence (17) and (18). Each of the sentences
contains earth which refers to our planet as in (17) and in (18) it means soil.
Both contain the sense of land, i.e. earth as land, not sky and earth as soil, not
water.

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 CHAPTER III CONCLUSION

A. Summary
Semantics is the study of the meaning of words, phrases and sentences. Sense
relations are one of important elements with regard to learning semantics, the study
of language meaning. In sense of relations there are five groups of meaning relations
with semantic relations, there are synonymy, antonym, homonymy, hyponymy and
polysemy.
Synonymy is used to mean sameness or close similarity of meaning, such as
bachelor and unmarried male. Antonym theory of meaning should finally account
for the contradictory or ‘opposite’ relations in meaning between words, phrases and
sentences, for instance long: short, fast: slow, easy: difficult, good: bad, hot: cold.
Richards and Schmidt define homonymy as “words which are written in the same
way and sound alike but which have different meanings, such as (In the ball the
prince invites Cinderella to dance, The boys like to play with the ball).
Hyponymy is “a relationship between two words, in which the meaning of one
of the words includes the meaning of the other word. It’s a matter of class
membership, for example (Dog and cat are hyponyms of animal). Richards and
Schmidt define Polysemy as “word having two or more closely related meanings, for
example (The sun is very bright today, She is a very bright student).