Being contrary in just one word
QUESTION The word ‘cleave’ has two meanings which are virtually opposite (to join or to split). Do words such as this have a formal name? Are there other examples? A WORD which has two opposite definitions is usually called a contranym, an auto-antonym or a Janus word.
The latter refers to Janus, the Roman god of doorways and beginnings (thus ‘ January’, the first month in the Roman calendar), and was depicted as having two faces (as doors can be used from two sides).
Contronyms may be true homographs, i.e., distinct words with different etymology which happen to have the same form, or they can be a form of polysemy, where a single word acquires a different and ultimately opposite sense.
Cleave is a good example of a homograph. The ‘separate’ meaning comes from the Old English clofan, while cleave ‘ adhere’ is from Old English clifian, which was pronounced differently.
Sanction (from the Latin sanctio, via the French sancire ‘ratify’) is a form of polysemy that can mean ‘give official permission for’ or conversely, ‘impose a penalty on’.
This common word can give rise to particularly ambiguous sentences, for instance: ‘Because of the company’s oversight, its behaviour was sanctioned.’
Resign works as a contranym on paper — a homograph but not a homophone. Resign, meaning ‘to quit’, i s spelled the same as ‘resign’ meaning ‘to sign again’ but pronounced differently. There are many examples: ‘Left’ can mean ‘remaining’ or ‘departed’. Depending on the context ‘dust’ can be used for either applying it (e.g. dust for fingerprints) or removing it.
‘Fast’ can mean ‘moving rapidly’, or ‘fixed, unmoving’, as in ‘holding fast’.
You can turn ‘off ’ a light switch but an alarm can go ‘off ’.
‘Bound’ can mean tied down but can also mean launching off, an ‘apology’ can be an expression of regret but also a defence or justification, and you can ‘screen’ or ’show’ a film but also to ‘screen’ or ‘hide’ something from view.
Colin Ames, Painswick, Glos. QUESTION In statistical terms, who are the worst England cricket captains? FURTHER to the earlier answer, the most humiliating experience for a cricket captain would seem to be a captain of an English team who l ost a Test series 5- 0 ( a whitewash) to Australia.
This has happened twice this century to English cricket teams, captained by Andrew Flintoff and Alistair Cook, whitewashed 5-0 by the Australians, in series Down under. Richard John Donovan, Liverpool.