How many of us have groaned at an incorrect use of the word literally? Such as when someone says, “I literally laughed my head off.” Did your head actually leave your body? No? Then you figuratively laughed your head off, not literally.
However, a few years ago language lovers and grammarians were shocked and dismayed to discover that many dictionaries had changed the definition of literally to include both literal and figurative interpretations. The misuse of literally to mean something that would normally be described as figuratively had grown so widespread that the new, albeit incorrect, version of the word was now acceptable in all but the most formal writing. Literally had become a contronym.
What Are Contronyms?
Contronyms (or contranyms or auto-antonyms) are words that have meanings that are opposite of each other, such as ravel, which can mean both tangle and untangle. These words are called Janus words, after the Roman god Janus, who was depicted as having two faces, each looking a different direction.
Sometimes the contronym split is between the word’s use as a noun, adjective or verb, but often the split is due to natural changes in a language over time. Occasionally, the words are pronounced differently, but readers often have to rely on context to determine which definition they are to interpret.
Examples of English Contronyms:
Aught: All, or nothing
Bolt: To secure, or to run away
Buckle: A fastener, to fasten, or to fall apart
Chuffed: Pleased, or displeased
Cleave: To adhere, or to separate
Clip: To attach, or to cut off
Custom: Common practice, or special treatment
Dust: To add fine particles, or to remove fine particles, or the particle themselves
Fast: Quick, or adhered
Fine: Excellent, or good enough
Finished: Finished, or destroyed
Fix: To repair, or to castrate
Garnish: An addition to or to add to or provide, such as with food, or to take from, such as with wages
Give out: To allot, or to stop working
Lease: To rent out property, or to pay rent for property
Left: Remaining, or departed
Literally: Actually, or figuratively
Off: Deactivated, or activated, such as with an alarm
Oversight: Supervision, or to neglect to supervise
Peer: An equal, or a person on nobility
Peruse: To read carefully, or to read quickly
Quite: Very (American usage), or fairly/somewhat (British usage)
Ravel: To tangle, or to disentangle
Refrain: To keep from doing something, or to repeat, such as with music
Rock: An immovable or solid object, or to shake or unsettle
Sanction: To approve, or to boycott
Seed: To sow seeds, or to shed seeds
Skin: A covering (or to cover), or to remove the cover
Trim: To decorate, or to remove excess
Trip: A journey, or a stumble
Variety: A particular type, or an array of types
Weather: To withstand, or to wear away
Wind up: To end, or to start up
Some contronyms have taken on a helpful en dash over the years to aid readers in interpretation, such as resign (to quit) and re-sign (to sign again or re–enlist).
Slang words are notorious for taking an opposite meaning to the conventional use of a word. Examples are:
Bad: Bad, or excellent
Bomb: An explosive device, or failure (American usage), or success (British usage)
Sick: Ill, or extremely good
How Do Words Become Contronyms?
Words can develop contrary meanings a few different ways. Some words start with a general definition that becomes more specific; some words do the opposite and move from a specific definition to a more general one. Sometimes the shift occurs when a word shifts from verb to noun and back to verb, as with the word dust, which went from adding fine particles, to the fine particles themselves, and finally to removing the fine particles. Other contronyms originate from two different words that meld together over time into the same word due to similarities in pronunciation.
General to Specific Shift
The first uses of peruse in the 1400s used the definition of “examining something in great detail and attention.” By the 1500s, the meaning had shifted to “read through or over,” with the addition of modifiers like carefully or quickly to show readers the level of attention. In the 20th century the word made its final split into two conflicting meanings of carefully reading and casually or quickly reading.
Specific to General Shift
Sanction began as a noun referring to a formal ecclesiastical decree (from the Latin sancire, meaning “to make holy”). Over time, the meaning shifted to include the means of enforcing the law and the process of ratifying a law. The second meaning shifted further to a broader sense of approval or authorization.
Words That Sound Alike
The word cleave started as two separate words: cleofan (meaning “to split”) and clifian (meaning “to adhere”). By the 14th century, the past tense forms of both verbs was regularized to cleaved, causing people to assume that the two different words were the same word, but with contrasting meanings.
How Do I Use Contronyms in Writing?
Eh…it’s best not to, unless you are using a lot of context to make sure your reader knows exactly what you are trying to express. Your readers may appreciate you finding a less ambiguous word, if one is available. However, if you are writing double entendres, puns or intentionally playing with the double nature of the words, then use all the contronyms you want.
Grammaphile 