#contronym

[cheshirelibrary]

Who knew?

[tcr55]

I know what they mean, but what it says is the same as a restaurant with a sign in the window saying ’no eating’.

[postersbykeith]

[solomonara]

English, WHY

[makeyourcopycount]

An example of a contronym is 'bolt' - this word can mean to secure something down 🔩or to flee! 🏃Can you think of any more contronyms?

[chornykot]

תובנה לשונית

כפי שבאנגלית ישנן המלים ”flammable” לעומת ”inflammable”, כך בעברית ישנם הביטויים ”אני אזיֵן אותך” ו”כנס לי לתחת”.

[tiny-loudness]

Russian contronyms

Contronym, or auto-antonym is a word with multiple meanings one of which one is the reverse of another.

Просмотреть can mean either ‘look through’ or ‘overlook’

Прослушать: ‘listen’ or ‘fail to hear’

Отходить: ‘to get better’ or ‘to pass away’

Одолжить: ‘to borrow’ and ‘to lend’

Вертеться в голове: ‘to be on the tip of the tongue’ or ‘to be in the head all the time’

Завязать: ‘to begin’ and ‘to end’

Переизбрать: ‘to reelect’ or ‘to elect [someone else]’

Вывезти: ‘to bring in’ or ‘to bring out’

Вырубить: ‘to carve’ or ‘to cut down’

Благой: ‘good’ or ‘bad’ (obsolete)

[postersbykeith]