Janus Words
Don’t you love those words
that can mean exactly the opposite of what they mean? They’ve been called many
names over the years, though none of those names have really stuck: contranyms,
antilogies,
eniantodromes,
and Janus
words. I’m fond of that final one, which refers to the two-faced Roman
god of transitions, Janus.
A few of my favorite Janus
words:
Fast: either something can hold fast, or it can move fast.
Strike: either I can strike the ball or miss the ball
& strike out.
Garnish: either a garnish is something added, like
parsley on one’s dinner plate, or something subtracted, as in garnished
wages.
Citation: I can receive a citation of merit for some good
deed, or a traffic citation for a deed of vehicular repute.
Bill: either one receives a bill for what one owes,
or one can be paid in bills when one is owed.
Host: I can be helpful by hosting a website or hosting
a party, or I can cross to the dark side and host a disease.
Oversight: I can be in charge of the oversight of employees, or I can ignore my
responsibilities & be guilty of oversight.
Swipe: I can do what the society honors and swipe
my credit card, or I can do what society abhors & swipe something off the
shelf.
Dear followers, what other
Janus words would you add to the list?
Wow. English is one befuddling language. Learning it as a second or third language must be soooo hard.
ReplyDeleteHow about "book"? the criminal booked it out of there before he could get booked for robbing the ice cream truck. Well...not quite, but close! We do have a confusing language but don't ya love it?
ReplyDeleteHey Christine & Anne,
ReplyDeleteConfusing, indeed. I suppose it creates some level of job security for those of us who teach English.
Book is a fine addition, Christine. Thanks.