Re: on the meaning of 'word sense'
Mari Olsen (molsen@astrid.ling.nwu.edu)
Tue, 2 May 1995 12:33:40 -0500 (CDT)
> Can I add that sometimes one of a words meanings is the opposite of another.
> The classic case is "inflammable" -- which causes much angst to safety people.
> While it may not yet have reached the dictionaries, "decimate" originally
> meant reduce by 10% [as in the Roman punishment] but is now usually used
> to mean reduce by a large amount (eg 90%).
>
There is a LONG thread on LINGUIST re: just such "autoantonyms", e.g.
"oversight", "clip" (put a piece on/take a piece off), etc.
Mari Broman Olsen
Northwestern University
Department of Linguistics
2016 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208
molsen@astrid.ling.nwu.edu
molsen@babel.ling.nwu.edu