Systemic-Structural Nature of Language. Paradigmatic and Syntagmatic Relations

Language is a system. System is a combination of interconnected and interrelated elements. If a system lacks one of its elements it ceases to exist. Structure is a means of organizing a system, its inner construction. Language has a 4 leveled / layered structure. The lowest level is phonemic, then morphemic, lexical and syntactical levels. Each level operates by means of its units: phonemic by phonemes, morphemic by morphemes, lexical by lexems / words, and syntactical by sentences. All levels are systems. Phonemic level organizes a system of phonemes, morphemic - a system of morphemes, lexical - a system of lexems / words, and syntactical - a system of phraseological units and sentences. All levels are interdependent in the language. Phonemes build morphemes, morphemes construct words, words are combined into sentences.

Language is organized according to paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations.

Paradigmatic are intra-systemic relations that exist between the members of a class based on different formal and functional principles. All members of a class possess the invariant feature common for each member. This invariant feature is a distinguishing characteristics of the class itself. Paradigmatic relations are inherent in units of different levels- phonemes, morphemes, lexems, sentences. In phonology paradigmatic relations can be based on principle of voiceness, factor of length etc.; in morphology on position of a morpheme in a word, its lexico- grammatical meaning or function; in the vocabulary on the correlation of synonymy and antonymy; in grammar on number and case, person and tense, modality, sentence-pattern.

There are formal paradigmatic relations based on the similarity of formal features of linguistic elements, or a set of forms, of one and the same linguistic unit, e.g.: sing & pl. form of a поun, all grammar forms of a verb.

There are also semantic paradigmatic relations, e.g.: synonyms and antonyms, hyponyms and hyperonyms.

Functional paradigmatic relations are based on functional significance of linguistic units, e.g., sentence modifiers, like: probably, in fact, as you know, thus etc.

Syntagmatic relations can be found both in language and speech. They exist between the elements linearly ordered at different levels of language. There are collocational relations, i.e. elements located in the same linear arrangement, e.g.: to have concept, basic concept, macroconcept, and compositional relations found in a syntagmatic formation, like phrase or sentence.

The combination of two words or word groups one of which is modified by the other forms a unit that is called a syntactic syntagma. There 4 main types of notional syntagmas: predicative - combination of a subject and predicate; objective - combination of a verb and its object: attributive - combination of a noun and its attribute; adverbial- combination of a verb and its adverbial modifier.

Phonemes and morphemes are also connected syntagmatically, e.g.: consonant + vowel, sequence of particular phonemes, e.g.: qu; morphemes in a word: root + suffix: space+ship, with+оиt, prefix + sterm: inter + connected.

Epidigmatics – hierarchical semantic derivation of polysemantic word (inner semantic derivation) which happened historically. It is preoccupied with two major objects of study: 1) to establish associative links between the main and derivative meaning in semantic structure of a polysemantic word; 2) to find the mechanism of creation of derivational meanings (narrowing, broadening, transference – metaphoric, metonymic, etc.). Epidigmatics comprises not only words linked genetically but also units combined on the basis of pseudomotivation links (false etymology). Types of derivative lexems:

1) derivative occurs on the basis of monosemantic word: grape → grapefruit;

2) Derivative is motivated by one LSV of a monosemantic word: rose → rose-bed, rose-bud, rose-leaf, rose-water.

3.Sign and Meaning. Ogden-Kichard s'Triangle. Charles Pierce' Theory of Signs

Ch. Ogden and A. Richards developed a theory of sign in The Meaning of Meaning (1923) emphasizing the relation between sign expression and mental image of an object. It is known as Ogden- Richards' triangle.

Thought / reference

Sign / word Object / referent

Thus, sign nominates a referent and symbolizes a thought, thought refers to a referent (object). In this way unit of language (symbol, sign) and reference (thought which interprets a sign) relate to a referent (object of the reality).

Human conscience keeps the most general distinctive features of objects, so, all the variants, or representatives of a class, are summarized in a general image. Language keeps the average, not the individual image of each particular object. In other case thinking would have stopped at a concrete, primitive level.

Charles Pierce' Theory of Signs. Signs and Symbols Charles Pierce developed a theory of signs on the basis of formal logic. He divided all signs into 3 types:

- signs-icons (іконічні) which are formed on the basis of physical similarity with objects, e.g.: pictures, photos, drawings, schemes, maps;

- signs-indices (індекси) are characterized by proximity of signs and objects, e.g.: smoke as a sign of fire, foot-mark on the sand as a sign of man. To this group also belong termometer. baramcter, wing (флюгер), gestures, pointers (дороговкази, стрілки годинника), demonstrative pronouns;

- signs-symbols have no direct relations between signs and objects; the connection depends on a rule as in most of lexical units in language. They need additional interpretation, e.g. words of human and artificial languages which are characterized by conventional relations between sounds and objects they denote. However, it is not true in the case of sound-imitative words (the case of onomatopoeia), e.g.: cuckoo, buzz, bang, din-dong; motivated derivatives and compounds in which the inner form is obvious, e.g.: driver, window, snowdrop, snowfall.

Date: 2015-04-20; view: 2179