1 of 6

Hierarchy in paradigmatic relations

2 of 6

Semantic field- the sum of lexical units joined by the community of content

Semantic field of movement

go

run

come

 move

 jump

leap

swift

Semantic field of space

 near

far

 close

 next to

under

spacious

expance

extent

spread

broad

Semantic field of time

minute

second

year

quickly

slowly

ago

past

 future

semantic field of mental processes 

think

thought

idea

invention

inventive

 imagination

perception

emotion

memory

3 of 6

Semantic fields are connected with one another and polysemantic words may be members of different semantic fields

semantic field of mental processes 

think

thought

idea

invention

inventive

 imagination

perception

emotion

memory

Semantic field of movement

go

run

come

 move

 jump

leap

swift

it came to me

now I catch it

come close to the solution

came in my mind

slide

4 of 6

There exist 3 different types of semantic fields:

  • lexico-semantic fields
  • associative semantic fields
  • functional semantic fields

The semantic field of time as lexico-semantic field will include already mentioned units (minute, second, year, quickly, slowly, ago, past, future etc.), but as associative semantic field it may include such words as money, waste etc.

Functional semantic fields comprise the words that fulfil the same function in speech: substantives, predicatives, determiners etc. 

5 of 6

Semantic fields comprise different lexico-semantic groups- comparatively small lexical groups of words belonging to the same part of speech and linked by a common concept.

human

female

professional

girl

wife

woman

man

woman

 boy

teacher

pilot

butcher

saleswoman

6 of 6

Lexico-semantic groups in turn comprise even smaller groups that are called semantic categories – synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, hyponyms, meronyms, conversives etc. Among these, the relations of hyponymy and meronimy are hierarchical, and the relations of contrast, antonymy, synonymy and homonymy are non- hierarchical