Comparison of Binary and Non-binary Words between English and Indonesian

Abstract

Antonyms are an important component of lexical semantics because they enable language users to express contrasting meanings and communicate ideas precisely. However, the classification of antonyms may differ across languages, particularly between binary and non-binary antonyms. This study aims to compare the classification and use of binary and non-binary antonyms in English and Indonesian, focusing on their similarities, differences, and semantic characteristics. This research employed a library research approach using secondary data obtained from linguistic books, scholarly journal articles, theses, dissertations, dictionaries, and other relevant academic publications. The collected data were analyzed descriptively and comparatively by identifying, classifying, and interpreting antonym pairs according to their semantic relationships and the presence or absence of intermediate meanings. The findings indicate that English and Indonesian share several similarities in the use of binary and non-binary antonyms. Binary antonyms in both languages generally express mutually exclusive meanings without an intermediate state, as illustrated by true–false, alive–dead, and open–close. Non-binary antonyms, in contrast, permit intermediate or gradable meanings, such as beautiful–ugly and expensive–cheap. Nevertheless, several antonym pairs demonstrate different classifications across the two languages. For example, rich–poor and fast–slow are treated as binary in English but may function as non-binary in Indonesian because intermediate expressions can occur. Conversely, agree–disagree and bitter–sweet may be interpreted as non-binary in English but binary in Indonesian. These findings demonstrate that antonym classification is influenced by semantic interpretation and language-specific usage. The study contributes to contrastive linguistics and lexical semantics and provides useful implications for vocabulary learning, translation, and effective communication.