Abstract:
The topic of this term paper is «Antonyms in the Korean language (stylistic functions
of antonyms in literature, journalism, etc.)». The main goals were to study the general
concept of antonyms, to classify antonyms and their characterictics, to define the
peculiarities of antonyms in the Korean language, and, based on the results obtained, to
analyze the stylistic functions of antonyms in Korean literature, journalism, songs, dramas,
and films. There are very few sources that deal with the issue of antonymy in the context of the Korean language. Therefore, in this paper, based on the already know general principles of antonyms and their classification, we were able to thoroughly analyze this issue within the Korean language. We identified the main ways of forming antonyms by adding affixes, grammatical structures, and particles, and determined how the meaning of words and their usage can change depending on the context. The paper provides examples in Ukrainian, English, and Korean, and based on the knowledge of the stylistic functions of antonyms, examples from Korean literature, journalism, songs, dramas, and films were analyzed. The examples demonstrate that one of the main functions of antonyms is emphasizing contrasts my means of juxtaposition. Other functions include additional emotional meanings, disclosure of symbolism, and focusing on relevant issues.
Since antonyms are such an essential part of any language, Korean is indeed no
exception. Antonyms play an important role in the language by helping the speaker to
express his or her thoughts and provide more details and emphasis; and also antonyms can be useful when learning a language. Learning words in antonymic pairs is one of the most effective ways to memorize new vocabulary. That is why antonyms are a very powerful linguistic feature. And understanding of their classification, significance in speech and other aspects helps a speaker to use antonyms more effectively in a language, especially in such a difficult language as Korean
