Lexical Relations

Question 1

What is syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations of words

Answer 1

Feridinad de Saussure Introduces two word relations

• syntagmatic relations
• paradigmatic relations

Syntagmatic
A relation between words and accompanying words
A relation between words that occur in sequence or in parallel.

Paradigmatic
A relation between words an non occurring words
Words that has paradigmatic relations can be replaced by other words.

Question 2

Lexical relations

Polysemy and homonymy

What are the similarities and differences between the two

Answer 2

Polysemy
Saeed,2003
A word relation of the same phonological with multiple meaning that are judged to be related.

A polysemous word is a word with extended related meaning.

Shows the plural of language

Saeed.2003 
Lexicographer identify polysemy through relatedness 
Relatedness is measure according to the 
speaker’s intuition 
Historical development of the word. 

When a word is first coined it acquires a meaning in the course of development it might acquire many meanings in addition to the first meaning
⬆️ this is how polysemy comes in to being.

Polysemy shows the economy and efficiency of a language.

There are two approaches to polysemy
1 diachronic approach
The evolution of the meaning of a word over a period of time
-primary meaning: etymological meaning
-secondary meaning: meaning that derive from the primary meaning

2 synchronic approach
Coexistence of multiple meanings of the same word at a given time

Homonymy
Saeed,2003
Homonymes are Unrelated sense of the same phonological word.

A word relation found in words that are phonologically and/or orthographically similar but having unrelated meanings

There are two types in homonymy
Homophones: sun/son
Words that a phonologically similar but different in meaning

Homographs : bow/bow
Words that are phonologically and orthographically similar but different in meaning.

Similarities and differences
Similarities
Both are associated with the notion of multiple meanings of the same phonological word

Differences
Polysemous words have related meaning
Homonymes have unrelated meanings

Polysemous words are listed under one lexical entry
Homonyms are listed as different lexical entries

Meanings of a polysemous word can be judged
Not in homonymy

Question 3

Synonymy and antonymy

Answer 3

Synonyms

Saeed,2003
Different phonological words that have identical or very similar meaning

Synonymy is word relation found in words that are phonologically and orthographically different but having the same meaning.

Two types
Absolute synonyms - exactly the same settee,couch
Relative synonyms - nearly the same design,scheme

• some words are synonyms for speakers knowing different dialects
Pavement SBE
Sidewalk SAE

• some words are synonyms while belonging to different registers and styles
Wife/lady

• some synonyms can be colocationally restricted
They can be synonyms that has a different connotation in a specific context

Antonyms
Saeed,2003
words that are opposite in meaning.

Word relation found in words that are opposite in meaning.

4 types
Simple antonyms
Words that are opposite without a middle state.
Kreidler 2002 binary antonyms
Saeed, 2003
The negative of one word implies the positive of the other
True false, dead alive

Gradable antonyms
Words that are opposite with a middle state
Kreidler 2002 non binary opposistes
Saeed,2003 the negative of one does not necessarily imply the positive of the other.
Young old
Tall short

Reverse antonyms 
Opposite that describe movements 
Come go 
Forward backward
One word describe movement in one direction the other in the opposite.

Converse antonyms
Opposite words describing the relation between two entities from an alternate point of view
Employer employee
Above below

Question 4

Hyponymy and meronymy

Answer 4

Hyponymy
A word relation between more general terms and the more specific instances of it
Ex: saw is a meronym of “tools”

Saeed,2003
A word relation of inclusion

The more general term is often called the super ordinate

Kreidller 2002
Meronymy is hierarchical
A term can be a superordinate to a homonymy and can be a hyponym of a higher super ordinate.

Meronymy
A word relation that describe a part whole relationship between lexical items.
Ex: cover and page are meronyms or book

Hierarchical classification is represented

Constituent part or member of a group

Similarities and differences

Shows hierarchical classification

Differences
Homonyms - general specific relation
Meronymy- part whole

Homonyms follow the pattern- x is a kind of y
Meronyms follow the pattern-x is a part of y