Syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations.

As for the structure Theoretical Grammar can be stipulated by syntagmatic (distributive) or paradigmatic (transformative) relations.

Other words, connections of language elements can be syntagmatic or paradigmatic (drawing 1.3).

 

Relations of contiguity The relations stipulate connections of language elements of the highest level. Adjacent language elements (relations of contiguity) can not replace each other for they belong to the different grammatical categories. They create meaningful combinations and have a propriety to combine meaningfully (not any two or more elements can be combined). * A combination of sounds creates a morpheme (a) or even a word (b). For instance: a) [p] + [r] + [i] = [pri] (the prefix ‘pre’ that means ‘before or preceding sth’); b) [t] + [i] + [n] = [tin] (the word ‘tin’ that means ‘a chemical element, a soft silver-white metal’). BUT the sounds [p], [r], [t], [n], for example, together will not create any meaningful combination (the same – in the brought under examples). * A combination of morphemes creates a word. For instance: the prefix ‘in’ (here = ‘not’) + the root ‘explic’ (from ‘explicit’ = ‘clear’) + the suffix ‘able’ (= ‘can’) = the word ‘inexplicable’ (‘that cannot be understood or explained’). * A combination of words creates a phrase (a) or a sentence (b). For instance: a) the article ‘a’ + the noun ‘pint’ + the preposition ‘of’ + the noun ‘milk’ = the phrase ‘a pint of milk’; b) The pronoun ‘She’ + the auxiliary ‘has’ + the notional verb ‘come’ = the sentence ‘She has come’.

Relations of similarity The relations unite language elements that cannot become adjacent but can replace each other. They belong to a class of elements that has a general similarity and forms paradigmatic series. For instance: a) in the given under varieties of a phrase pint a cup of milk bottle gallon the words ‘pint’, ‘cup’, ‘bottle’, ‘gallon’ are included to the series of language elements which means some quantity of a liquid and can replace each other in accordance with the quantity that is meant. Thus, the words form a paradigmatic line of language elements;   b) in the given under sentences Jack is sleeping. Jill is reading. predicates can replace each other in accordance with a real situation, too: Jack is reading. Jill is sleeping. Though they cannot be adjacent. It is impossible to use them adjacently: Jack (Jill) is sleeping, reading. It is incorect use that has no sense. Thus, the predicates ‘is sleeping’ and ‘is reading’ form a paradigmatic class of predicates and the proper names ‘Jack’ and ‘Jill’ – the one of subjects.   c) the given under forms of the verb ‘mean’ mean, meaning, meant, has meant, is meant, had been meant, meaningful, etc. also create a paradigmatic line of forms that are variants of the word ‘mean’.

Drawing 1.3. Two general types of structural relations of language elements