Scary Words # 10: Synchronic Vs. Diachronic Patterns in Discourse Analysis

(Book: Wood, L.A. & Kroger. R.O. (2000). Doing Discourse Analysis: Methods for Studying Action in Talk and Text. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.) 

Patterns in DA = The recognition of relationships between features of discourse.

Synchronic Patterns = A particular usage by a particular participant.

Diachronic Patterns = The turn-taking structure of a conversation.