Paradigmatics and Syntagmatics

The domain of morphology is the paradigmatics of a word. Morphology studies the forms of words and their paradigms. A paradigm is a set of forms of a word (a boy-boys-a boy’s-boys’).The term “paradigm” is used to designate sets of forms on different linguistic levels . A paradigm on the lexico-semantic level is a set of primarily and secondarily nominative lexico-semantic variants of a word, which constitute its semantic structure (a head is the top part of your body; your mind; the leader or person in charge ; the top or front of something, etc.). On the level of word-building it is a set of derivatives (psyche-psychedelic-psychiatric-psychiatrist-psychiatry-psychic--psychoanalysis-psychoanalyst-psychoanalyze-psychological-psychologist-psychology-psychosis, etc.). On the syntactic level it is a set of transformations of kernel

sentences (I havea car-I had a car, I shall have a car-Do you have a car- I don’t have a car-my having a car-for me to have a car, etc.).

The domain of syntax is the syntagmatics of a word. A syntagm is a linear sequence of elements (He is a fine boy).

In a paradigm words are in paradigmatic relations, they have paradigmatic meanings which are constant, invariable, subject to no change. In a syntagm the once paradigmatic meanings are complicated by syntagmatic meanings which are variable, subject to contextual change. In the syntagm Lovely spring flowers under British bleak skies!( R. Aldington. Death of a Hero) the morpheme –s along with the paradigmatic meaning of plurality acquires contextual (syntagmatic) meanings of emotiveness, expressiveness, intensiveness, and evaluation.

Parts of Speech