There is an enduring debate concerning the degree to which linguis
tic phenomena are culturally specific or universal. We review evi
dence that suggests that many linguistic processes are cross-culturally
common and likely to be a function of human physiology, but we
also acknowledge strong evidence for particularistic linguistic phe
nomena relating to content and communication context. In support
of our position, we examine subject responses to semantic relations
in nine different cultures. Consistent with cognitive theories, we find
a pronounced pattern of cross-cultural agreement concerning the
manner in which antonyms are employed. In an effort to assess the
interaction between judgments of semantic relations and the cul
tural context of subjects, we have conducted a detailed analysis of
the responses of Kelantan, Malay, subjects to a set of 15 semantic
relations. The results continue to support an argument for the
universality of antonymic meaning.
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