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From: jeff@rtech.ARPA (Jeff Lichtman)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Semantic Reversals
Message-ID: <165@rtech.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 20-Feb-85 04:02:31 EST
Article-I.D.: rtech.165
Posted: Wed Feb 20 04:02:31 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Feb-85 09:10:48 EST
References: <101@mot.UUCP>
Organization: Relational Technology, Berkeley CA
Lines: 44

> There are some words  whose meanings have become perverted into
> a near reversal of what their origins would suggest.  Here are
> a few that have stuck in my mind over the years.  Does anyone know 
> of any others?
> 
> unravel-- Means exactly the same as "ravel".

Another example is "unloose", which means to let loose.  I remember
hearing that the "un" prefix can intensify as well as negate, but
my dictionary doesn't confirm this.

A similar word is "inflammable", which means the same as "flammable".

> 
> shameless-- Isn't "shameless" behavior a lot like "shameful"
> 	behavior and vice versa?
> 
			.
			.
> Alan Filipski, UNIX group, Motorola Microsystems, Tempe, AZ U.S.A

My Webster's 2nd defines "shameless" as "destitute of shame;
wanting modesty; brazenfaced; insensible to disgrace", and
"shameful" as "bringing shame or disgrace; injurious to reputation;
disgraceful; as a shameful sight".  It's hard to think of a shameless
act that isn't also shameful; this is probably because a shameless
act deserves disgrace and so must be shameful.  The meaning of "shameless"
hasn't been perverted, but it's odd that "shameless" and "shameful"
have similar meanings.

Another example is "apparent", which means "able to be seen" or
"easily seen" (again from Webster's 2nd).  Sometimes this word is
used to mean "obvious" ("It is apparent that...").  In some common usages it
means "not as appearances would indicate" ("This apparently
true statement suggests ...").  Thus, this word can be used to indicate
obvious truth or non-obvious falsehood (such is the nature of appearances).

This reminds me of the word "cleave" which means "to cling together"
and "to split apart".  The two meanings have different etymologies.
Are there any other examples of words that have two opposite (or nearly
opposite) meanings?
-- 
Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.)
aka Swazoo Koolak