Paradigmatic vs. Syntagmatic

Ferdinand de Saussure(1916)

... c h a i n ...... c

h o i c e .

..

paradigmatic

syntagmatic

[b t] “bat”... c h a i n ......

c h

o i

c e

...

[ p at ][ k at ]

b

[ b E t ][ b It ]

a[ b a p ]

[ b a d ]

t

/b t/

pk p

dEI

... c h a i n ...... c

h o

i c

e ...

b a t

Phonemes / Phonology: contrastive units

... c h a i n ...... c

h o i c e .

..choice is meaningful“paradigmatic”

“syntagmatic”

/b t/

pk p

dEI

... c h a i n ...... c

h o

i c

e ...

b a t

Phonemes / Phonology: contrastive units

• phonemes are the minimal units of phonology

• changing a phoneme means that you change the word!

A clause analysis

The lion chased the tourist lazily through the bush

process

participants circumstances• how• where

‘Box’ representation of clause in terms of Process, Participants and

Circumstances

The lion

chased

the tourist

lazily

through the bush

Participant: Actor

Process

Participant: Goal

Cir-cum-stance

Circum-stance

‘Box’ representation of clause in terms of Process, Participants and Circumstances

The lion

chased

the tourist

lazily

through the bush

Participant: Actor

Process

Participant: Goal

Cir-cum-stance

Circum-stance

... c h a i n ...

“syntagmatic”

‘Box’ representation of clause in terms of Process, Participants and

Circumstances

The tourist

thought

this was very unfair

Participant: Senser

Process

Participant: Phenomenon

‘Box’ representation of clause in terms of Process, Participants and Circumstances

The tourist

thought

this was very unfair

Participant: Sensor

Process

Participant: Phenomenon

... c h a i n ...

“syntagmatic”

Paradigmatic: clauses

material

mental

... c

h o

i c

e ...

Participant:Phenomenon

ProcessParticipant:Sensor

Circum-stance

Circum-stance

Participant:Goal

ProcessParticipant:Actor

Paradigmatic: clauses

material

mentalParticipant:Phenomenon

Participant:Sensor

Participant:Goal

Participant:Actor

relational

verbal

Participant:Attribute

Participant:Carrier

Participant:Verbiage

Participant:Sayer

Paradigmatic: clauses

material

mentalParticipant:Phenomenon

Participant:Sensor

relational

verbal

attributive

identifyingParticipant:Value

Participant:Token

Participant:Attribute

Participant:Carrier

featurefeature

feature

What about effective/middle?

The lion

chased

the tourist

lazily

through the bush

Participant: Actor

Participant: Goal

Agent

Process Medium

Cir-cum-stance

Circum-stance

... c h a i n ...

Interpersonal: Orientation and Manifestation

Modality:overview

(proposition)

(proposal)

Modality:overview

(proposition)

(proposal)

Three kinds of meaning: three metafunctions

• Textual meaning:– Theme

• Interpersonal meaning:– Subject– Finite– Polarity / Probability

• Ideational/Experiential meaning:– Process– Participants– Circumstances

what’s going on

how is message is organised

relationship between speakers

The contexts of text: what bits of language have what effects…

what’s going on

how is language

being transmitted

what’s going on

what’s the relationship between the

speakers