418. Of antithesis there are three kinds; (a) that of words in the formation of groups; (b) that which gives an interrogative force by the juxtaposition of positive and negative clauses, (c) That of sentences contrasted in sound or sense.
Obs. The first of these should be placed with the sections on groups, but the other kinds (b) and (c) are naturally discussed after propositions, and therefore they are all placed together here.
419. Substantives that are opposite in sense, when they combine into groups are treated just as other coordinate words.
- 晝夜 tseu‘ ya‘, day and night.
- 山海 san ’hé, land (hills) and sea.
420. Adjectives and verbs when they form antithetic groups often lose their proper character as attributives, and become substantives.
- 斬絞流徒 ’tsan kau lieu dú, beheading, strangling and banishment.
- 酸甜苦鹹 sûn díen ’k’ú han, sour, sweet, bitter, salt.
- 第條路多少遠近 tí‘ diau lú‘ tú ’sau ’yön ’giun, how far is it by this road?
421. Antithesis in the formation of interrogatives has an important grammatical use. Thus, a verb with or without its object expressed successively in the affirmative and negative form, asks a question.
- 去過勿曾去過 k’í kú‘ veh zung k’í‘ kú‘, have you gone or not?
Obs. The subject is prefixed and is not repeated; e.g. 遭蹋字紙㑚 想罪過勿罪過 tsau t’ah zz‘ ’tsz ná‘ ’siáng zé‘ kú‘ veh zé‘ kú‘, do you think the misuse of written-paper is a sin or not?
422. Among instances of the antithesis of propositions, many consist simply of a tautology of ideas by introducing opposite qualities or actions with the negative particle.