A paradigm, in the sense in which this term is used here, is a composite structure of beliefs and assumptions which interlock and interact with each other.
- Dik (1989), a pag.4

As with any complex object of inquiry, the manner in which one conceptualizes a natural language, the questions one asks about it and the answers one seeks to find to these questions are heavily dependent on the basic assumptions which underlie one’s approach. Together, these assumptions constitute one’s basic philosophy, the “paradigm” […] or the “research tradition” […] in which one operates.
- Dik (1989), a pag.2