The opposite of a noun is derived using the following method:
1. Describe the purpose of the noun.
Please note that a purpose is very different from a description. A description describes what something is. A purpose describes the reason for its existence - what it does and a why.
2. Decide what the opposite purpose might be (e.g. if the purpose of a knife is 'to cut', then the opposite purpose might be 'to stick things back together')
3. Decide what noun may have this new, opposite purpose.
There may be a need to 'invent' a new thing to fulfill this purpose (see Hallucinated nouns).
It may also be the case that the opposite purpose is the same as the original purpose (e.g. to move from A to B becomes to move from B to A) which will result in the opposite noun being the same as the original (see Prime opposites).
All English language nouns qualify including proper nouns (names of places and people).
It is also possible for nouns which don't yet exist to be included. It was discovered early on in the study of opposites that certain 'Hallucinated' nouns could be found as opposites of every day objects.
This emerging field allows the science of opposites to be used to discover things which have not yet been invented.
Certain nouns are the opposite of themselves. These are known as prime opposites.
A prime opposite has the same function as its own opposite function.
Examples of prime opposites are often found in modes of transport and receptacles for holding fluids.
A spoon is a prime opposite because:
1. the function of a spoon is to move liquid from a bowl to the mount
2. the opposite function would be to move liquid from the mouth back to the bowl
A spoon is therefore a Prime opposite.
Other prime opposites include cars, aeroplanes, trains and shovels.
Each noun is described based on the following taxonomy:
Noun Type:
Concrete nouns refer to physical bodies which you use at least one of your senses to observe. For instance, "desk", "carrot", or "Sweden"
Abstract nouns refer to abstract objects such as ideas or concepts. Examples include such as "love" or "misfortune".
Existence:
Real nouns are things that may be found in every day life and would, for instance, be listed in a dictionary or encyclopedia.
Hallucinated nouns are completely made up for the purpose of finding opposites.
Although www.oppo-site.com doesn't enforce strict rules, Hallucinated nouns should only be created as an opposite to a Real noun.
An example of an hallucinated noun would be 'Vampire Depressant Tables' - which are the opposite of 'mirror'.
The person who first lodges the noun on www.oppo-site.com is responsible for assigning the opposite from the available nouns on the site.
Although the founders of oppostology will retain a degree of moderation, social co-operation is encouraged.
If you would like to suggest an opposite for a noun, you are able to leave suggestions on the noun page so that the 'noun owner' can take your views into consideration before deciding on the most appropriate opposite.
Oppo-inions are comments made by others to help fathom the opposite of the noun in questions.
The creator of the noun can vote one of the oppo-inions as the 'best' one before updating the noun with its opposite.
That way, credit is given to the contributor of the opposite.
You accumulate oppoints in recognition for your contribution to finding the opposite of every noun in the English language.
50 oppoints are awarded for a new noun
10 oppoints are awarded for an oppo-inion
Special recognition awards of oppoints may also be made for outstanding contributions to the Science of Opposites.
In short, yes - a noun can have a number of opposites.
Because the function of a noun may be different in multiple contexts (e.g. a mobile phone may be used to make phone calls on the move or to send text messages), it is quite possible to have multiple opposites.
Every effort must be taken to ensure that functional definitions for each context are documented.
Nouns have many attributes (colour, shape, size etc.) which could be inverted in order find the opposite.
Early on in the study of opposites, certain nouns were found to be 'unstable' when multiple attributes.
An example:
Twitter: An online service enabling people to remain 'hyper connected' and communicate with each other, sharing thoughts, ideas and nonsense.
By inverting the attribute of hyper connected communication to silence, we come up with:
Online Trappist Monastery: A website that enables people to co-exist in silence and serenity. Everybody logs on and then looks at a blank screen, allowing their pupils to dilate until they drift of onto another mental plane.
If were were to invert the attribute of 'online' to 'offline' we would simply arrive at Trappist Monastery
Whilst both are valid opposites (one real, one hallucinated) it can be observed that the number of attributes selected for inversion affects the opposite.
Other caveats:
Double Negatives
It is possible to cause a 'double negative' opposite where a noun's purpose is inverted in a literal, word-for-word sense. Words such as do > don't, will > won't will often cause the researcher to arrive at false Prime opposites.
Context
A noun's purpose (and therefore opposite) must be considered within a given context. For example, mobile phones can be used to talk and send text messages. When defining the opposite, the context should be explained to avoid ambiguity.
Nouns within Nouns
Where a noun is part of the intrinsic purpose of another noun, it should not be inverted.
Roller Skate: To make it impossible for people to balance or walk without a high degree of practice. Once perfected, the Roller Skate enables people to glide along as though they were on wheels.
Its opposite, Friction Shoes (Footwear with high friction soles (e.g. with rubberised sandpaper suckers) that make the wearer's feet stick to the floor when walking. Believed to have been invented for Charlie Chaplin to run around corners.) has an intrinsic notion of 'Foot' in its definition. By inverting 'foot', the opposite becomes abstract and relies on the accurate resolution of 'foot' in the correct context to resolve Roller Skate.
