A Semantic Analysis of Antonymy in Selected Kurdish Proverbs

Abstract

Proverbs are not just a group of words, but linguistic expressions that carry semantic, metaphorical, or non-literal meaning expressing wisdom, experience of the elderly, and the truth of life. They are used to convey different meanings in different situations. Comprehending and using the sense relation of antonymy is important to understand the real meaning of proverbs in communications; however, its function is far more crucial. The data of the study are taken from Khall's book "Pandi Peshinan" (Proverbs) (2007) and Sharaza's book "Pandi berawirdkari le newan Englizi w Arabiu Kurdi" (1983), and the equivalent English proverbs are taken from Collins' book "American English Proverbs" (2009). The study adopts Palmer's classification of antonymy in "Semantics" (1997). This study is an attempt to analyze eleven Kurdish proverbs and sayings with antonymous component to analyze, describe and understand the theme of the proverbs more clearly and to comprehend the relation between linguistic items in a language through the use of antonyms and its types, gradable antonymy, complementary antonymy, relational antonymy and directional opposite. It is hypothesized that the meaning of the proverbs can be analyzed semantically with identification of antonymy and its types. Consequently, the study concluded that proverbs can be analyzed semantically and four types of antonyms are found in the selected Kurdish proverbs.