Semantic relations

Abstract

In this article it is argued that binding between and within sentences or texts is crucially semantic and that the obviously formal links which exist are in fact overt manifestations of semantic connectedness. This connectedness can be systematically treated only if the paradigmatic and syntagmatic axes of the language system are taken into account. It was found from the investigation that semantic relations can be divided into a set of structural and nonstructural relations respectively. The former can be divided into a set of relations which occur intrasententially between successive sentences only. The latter occur intra- and intersententially because the members (antecedents and anaphors) are not confined to immediate constituents of a specific syntactic structural unit.