Language: Phantonyms

Rosenthal, Jack. "On Language: Phantonyms." New York Times 27 Sept. 2009. natl. ed. Magazine 24. Print.

Phantonyms are the subject of Jack Rosenthal's regular column "On Language." Phantonyms are, he says, "words that look as if they mean one thing but mean another."

Synonyms have a similar meaning as another word; antonyms are words that mean the opposite of another word. Phantonyms, however, are tricky and deceptive and can trip up students taking SAT exams as well as politicians and journalists, and the average Jane or Joe. Even careful users of language such as President Obama are caught in a mis-speak by a phantonym.

Some phantonyms I know on a deep cellular level, having encountered them many times in my life. Examples of these would be enervated which means not energetic but weakened. Also, fortuitous is a familiar of mine. It means "happening by chance" rather than what seems obvious, "lucky." Other antonyms I would have, and probably have already done so, tripped up on: noisome, fulsome (which President used incorrectly), enormity and penultimate among others.

The subject interests me first because I enjoy exploring language and particularly the development of words from the original Greek or Roman or Old English to present day. It is also appeals to me presently because of a mis-speak of my own. I named my blog "Encounters with Language and Literacy." Encounter I thought a dear word that signified a chance meeting that in some way proved enriching or delightful. Imagine my dismay when on checking my American Heritage I discovered that yes I had the chance meeting correct but had not taken into account the possibility of a hostile confrontation. Oh my!

Technically I think encounter is not phantonym as I suspect most language students, my classmates included, know of this hostile element that lurks in encounter. Now that I am enlightened, and my blog already named, I may find this a fortuitous encounter that might lead to confrontation or friendship.