Converse Terms

I’ve been reading a book on linguistics recently. During the process I have discovered some new terminology, such as converse terms. This phrase describes pairs of words where one word reverses the relationship that is denoted by the first.

As someone else put it, there’s a relationship of equivalence. In other words, if you are my mother, then I have to be your daughter. If I am standing over a bridge, then the bridge is under my feet. Here are some more examples:

  • ancestor and descendant
  • before and after
  • bequeath and inherit
  • buy and sell
  • doctor and patient
  • employer and employee
  • father and son
  • give and receive
  • guest and host
  • husband and wife
  • infer and imply
  • lend and borrow
  • parents and children
  • predator and prey
  • sister and brother
  • teach and learn
  • teacher and student
  • trainer and trainee

Sharon on July 11, 2008 Subscribe to our RSS Feed

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6 Responses to “Converse Terms”

  1. Brad K. on July 11, 2008 1:25 pm

    Blog and lurk?

    post and respond
    publish and peruse
    write and read
    send (or transmit) and receive

    shooter and target
    pull and push

  2. Tony on July 12, 2008 5:39 pm

    Re Converse Terms.
    ‘…if you are my mother, then I have to be your daughter.’
    As I am the son of my mother where does that leave me????

  3. Sharon Hurley Hall on July 12, 2008 7:10 pm

    It works for both terms, Tony. If you are saying the phrase it would be ‘if you are my mother, then I have to be your son.’ :)

    Thanks for the additions, Brad

  4. Psychic Advice on July 13, 2008 11:02 am

    Great blog, subscribed to your rss feed. Thanks.

  5. Beelissa on July 14, 2008 12:55 am

    deluge and drought
    wet and dry
    humid and arid
    sunshine and cloudburst

    Can you tell it’s raining here?

  6. Czenko on July 14, 2008 9:50 pm

    Crossed the 10,000 mark? I don’t even think I crossed 5 on my blog, but then again, it’s not like this place…

    I just got a look at this here blog, and it looks useful. Maybe I’ll check back regularly just like the other 10,000 people ;)

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