• sanction •
Pronunciation: sængk-shên • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Verb & Noun
Meaning: 1. [Verb] To permit, encourage, officially approve. 2. [Verb] To penalize, to forbid or discourage by exacting penalties.
Notes: Richard Lederer has called words that themselves have two contradictory meanings "contronyms", as good a name as we need. Today's contronym, when used as a noun, distinguishes its contradictory meanings by the use of discrete prepositions. A sanction to usually indicates permission while a sanction against indicates penalization. That distinction does not carry over to the verb: "The principal sanctioned short skirts," could mean that she approved them or that she forbade them.
In Play: Using a contronym requires the listener's knowing which of its meanings applies: "Iran was sanctioned for producing weapons of mass destruction by the UN long ago." We must deduce from the negative connotations of 'weapons of mass destruction' that here the verb means "penalize". "I hope using the BMW to pull the stump out of the back yard was sanctioned by Mom or Dad," however, sounds more like approval.
Word History: Today's Good Word comes from Latin sanctio(n) "consecration, confirmation" from sancire "to make holy". The past participle of this verb is sanctus, which French inherited and converted to saint. The Proto-Indo-European root, *sa[n]k- "holy, sacred", contains a Fickle N which comes and goes as it pleases historically. In sancire it is present but in sacer "holy", which was borrowed as English sacred, it is not. An interesting relative of all these words is sacrosanct, which contains this root both ways: with and without the N. (We were delighted to sanction the use of this word, sent to us by Thel Casper, in our Good Word series.)
SANCTION
- Dr. Goodword
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SANCTION
• The Good Dr. Goodword
"Contranyms"
"Sanction" and "sanction" are, we're told, contranyms -- i.e., one word with two opposite meanings. Fine. Interesting. Makes sense. But other words, we're told, are homonyms -- two differing words, each with its own meaning, which sound the same. My question is: how do we decide whether we've got a case of contranyms or homonyms? That is: why wouldn't "sanction" and "sanction" be homonyms? Is there some rule, or is this just a matter of arbitrary convention?
Don
Don
I would say that a contranym is a sub-class of homonyms, singled out for having opposite, rather than merely different, meanings.HOMONYM: One of two or more words having the same sound and often the same spelling but different meanings. Examples: quail (cower), and quail (bird) fair (appearance), fair (county fair), and fair (reasonable).
HOMOPHONE: One of two or more words pronounced the same but different in meaning, origin, and sometimes spelling. Examples: cite, sight, and site; sea and see; your and you're; bow and bough.
HOMOGRAPH: One of two or more words spelled alike but different in origin, meaning, and sometimes pronunciation. Examples: bow of a ship, a bow and arrow, and a bow (deference/manners).
HETERONYM: One of two or more words that are spelled the same but that differ in pronunciation and meaning. Examples: bass (voice) and bass (fish); polish (shine) and Polish (from Poland); tear (rip) and tear (from eye).
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
Anonymous
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CONTRANYM | HOMONYM
There is usually historical evidence that homonymous pairs are discrete words: fair and fair are pronounced the same as a result of historical coincidence.
A contranym is a single word with two meanings that contradict each other and the historical evidence indicates some quirk in usuage that led to their state.
A contranym is a single word with two meanings that contradict each other and the historical evidence indicates some quirk in usuage that led to their state.
• The Good Dr. Goodword
Contranyms
Thanks.
Just to be clear, am I right that Dr. G disagrees with Perry? Perry says that contranyms are "a sub-class of homonyms" -- i.e., that they are two words, each with its own (opposite) meaning, which sound the same. Dr. G says that contranyms are one word with two (opposite) meanings, adding that historical evidence as to how our words developed ususally can indicate to us whether we've got a case of homonym or contranym. I would be inclined to go with Dr. G's response, agreeing with him (so far as my poor powers allow) that there is historical evidence in many cases.
Don
Just to be clear, am I right that Dr. G disagrees with Perry? Perry says that contranyms are "a sub-class of homonyms" -- i.e., that they are two words, each with its own (opposite) meaning, which sound the same. Dr. G says that contranyms are one word with two (opposite) meanings, adding that historical evidence as to how our words developed ususally can indicate to us whether we've got a case of homonym or contranym. I would be inclined to go with Dr. G's response, agreeing with him (so far as my poor powers allow) that there is historical evidence in many cases.
Don
My assertion was contextual, whereas Dr. Goodword (aka Dr. Richard Beard), actually possesses facts and specific etymological knowledge regarding this. I will just take it as a complement that you wondered (if only for a moment) which of us to believe.
IOW, what he said!
IOW, what he said!
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
Anonymous
Anonymous
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Robert, Perry, Robert!My assertion was contextual, whereas Dr. Goodword (aka Dr. Richard Beard),...
Or Bob, as he signs himself in Email.
Regards//Larry
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
"To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them."
-- Attributed to Richard Henry Lee
OOPS!
What to do when there are two Beards that I admire? One is our own Dr. Robert Beard and the other is Richard Beard, host of Celtic Winds Sundays 12:00 - 3:00 on WNCW (98.7 from Spindale, NC or http://www.wncw.org for listening from anywhere via the web).
Gail, it's wonderful the way you jumped on the two sides of sanction!
What to do when there are two Beards that I admire? One is our own Dr. Robert Beard and the other is Richard Beard, host of Celtic Winds Sundays 12:00 - 3:00 on WNCW (98.7 from Spindale, NC or http://www.wncw.org for listening from anywhere via the web).
Gail, it's wonderful the way you jumped on the two sides of sanction!
"Time is nature's way of keeping everything from happening all at once. Lately it hasn't been working."
Anonymous
Anonymous
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- Grand Panjandrum
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Kewl, I didn't know that!OOPS!
What to do when there are two Beards that I admire? One is our own Dr. Robert Beard and the other is Richard Beard, host of Celtic Winds Sundays 12:00 - 3:00 on WNCW (98.7 from Spindale, NC or http://www.wncw.org for listening from anywhere via the web).
Gail, it's wonderful the way you jumped on the two sides of sanction!
But just for the record it's 88.7 -not to be picky or anything....
IOW I sanction Perry's sanction of Gailr's sanction of Stargzer's sanction of Perry's sanction of Dr. Rufolf Beard's sanction of sanction.
Sankew, sank yew vurra much.
PS - speaking of picky, contranym or contronym? One of you even did it both ways! Are they homanyms?
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!
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- Grand Panjandrum
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Re: CONTRANYM | HOMONYM
I thought homonyms were words pronounced alike but spelt differently.
When Dr. Goodword wrote:
When Dr. Goodword wrote:
- did he mean fair and fare?There is usually historical evidence that homonymous pairs are discrete words: fair and fair are pronounced the same as a result of historical coincidence.
Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Knife no one, fink!
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