A corpus-based behavioral profile analysis of polysemy and antonymy: the case of the ancient Greek size adjectives <i>mikrós</i> and <i>mégas</i>

Abstract This article explores the semantic relationships between the antonymous adjectives mikrós (‘small’/‘little’) and mégas (‘big’/‘large’) in Classical Greek. Adopting a cognitive and usage-based perspective, the study applies the Behavioral Profile approach to investigate the polysemy of these adjectives and to assess the strength of their antonymic relationship. Specifically, it aims to determine whether the functional similarity among antonymous words is greater or lesser than that found within the senses of polysemous words. By focusing on how antonymous senses of different lexemes cluster together in a joint network, the study examines the extent to which antonymy, rather than polysemy, governs the organization of these senses. The analysis points to an upgraded role of antonymy in semantic structure.