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Antonymy and Semantic Relations: The Case for a Linguistic Universal

Hamilton College

Douglas Herrmann

Indiana State University

There is an enduring debate concerning the degree to which linguis tic phenomena are culturally specific or universal. We review evi dence that suggests that many linguistic processes are cross-culturally common and likely to be a function of human physiology, but we also acknowledge strong evidence for particularistic linguistic phe nomena relating to content and communication context. In support of our position, we examine subject responses to semantic relations in nine different cultures. Consistent with cognitive theories, we find a pronounced pattern of cross-cultural agreement concerning the manner in which antonyms are employed. In an effort to assess the interaction between judgments of semantic relations and the cul tural context of subjects, we have conducted a detailed analysis of the responses of Kelantan, Malay, subjects to a set of 15 semantic relations. The results continue to support an argument for the universality of antonymic meaning.

Cross-Cultural Research, Vol. 30, No. 2, 154-183 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/106939719603000202


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