Auto-antonym

Perhaps this is why so many people are confused by the multiple uses of "yield" in programming. For example, in a generator context, the metaphor is that the generator yields (produces) an element. In a threading context, a thread yields (concedes) to other threads.

English having a few words with multiple if opposite meanings doesn't make it hard to learn. It's hard to learn due to the inconsistency in letter sounds, especially vowels, from word to word. Other languages such as Spanish are easy to pronounce because they use the same rules for letter sounds for all words.<p>Title was changed to be a bit less inflammatory now, or is it flammatory? I think they both mean the same thing...

Another confusing one: <i>inflammable</i>, which means <i>capable of being set on fire</i> but follows the same pattern as other words in which the prefix <i>in-</i> connotes negation, e.g. <i>inflexible</i>.

Definitely interesting... but is anyone else finding some of these to be a stretch? "Fast" wasn't very convincing for me since the latter is part of an idiom. "Moot" I'm just straight up disagreeing with.

...and yet, a child with no prior experience of human language can pick it up without much fuss. So what advantages does a child have over a stereotypical adult learner? I'd say these are the key points:<p>1. Lack of assumptions. Words often have multiple meanings, don't assume you know all ways a word is applied, instead pay attention to how context alters the meaning(s) you are already aware of. 2. Immersion, a.k.a. throwing yourself in at the deep end. 3. Openness to new information. Could also be highlighted with the word 'playfulness'. Enjoy your progress.

It's missing my favorite auto-antonym phrase "off the menu".

I'm confused why English is always said to be hard to learn - those concepts mentioned exist in other languages as well..<p>Even to the opposite, i'm not sure if there's a language where there are _no_ words with 2+ different/opposite meanings?

Auto-antonyms exist in many other languages. Also the examples are mostly very unusual, or so context-dependent that I'd be surprised if anyone actually made a mistake because of them. Most have a different usage based on the meaning - like "to yield [to sb]" / "to yield sth".<p>Actually English is rather easy compared to most languages. No genders for objects, no declination, very minimal and rather consistent conjugation, no cases, etc. I wouldn't say it's confusing to learn (relative to other choices).

I would disagree with "cleave" also. "Cleave from" means the opposite of "cleave to", but I would argue that that's because "from" means the opposite of "to", not because "cleave" means the opposite of "cleave".

"Citation" can mean "commendation" or a "summons to appear in court."[citation needed]<p>...Oh the irony

another nice big list of these at Wordnik: <a href="http://www.wordnik.com/lists/contronympho" rel="nofollow">http://www.wordnik.com/lists/contronympho</a>