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If a dictionary is a reference book for word definitions, and a thesaurus is a reference book for grouping words according to meaning, what do you call a reference book for word progressions?

By word progressions I mean such things as:

  • Comparatives and superlatives:
    • good/better/best
    • big/bigger/biggest
    • least/less/more/most
  • Measures:
    • tiny, small, medium, large, gigantic
    • common/uncommon/rare, unique
    • novice/apprentice/journeyman/master/grandmaster
  • Deictic expressions:
    • before/during/after
    • yesterday/today/tomorrow
    • first/second/third/..., first/(then/next)/last
    • penultimate/ultimate

Does such a reference book exist? If not, what are some sources that describe these word progressions?

twip
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  • I'm certain I don't have all my terminology correct; I'm happy to improve my question quality with helpful comments. – twip Sep 07 '16 at 23:15
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    Between my dictionary and thesaurus, I seem to be covered for all of this. – Laurel Sep 07 '16 at 23:29
  • @Laurel: My thesaurus will tell me that before has an antonym of after and the dictionary definition of after has the following sentence example: before, during, and after the war. However, none of these individual references correlate the notion of before/during/after unless I investigate all three words in two different references, or happen to read the the dictionary entry for after first. – twip Sep 07 '16 at 23:39
  • I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because a request for resources is off-topic. – Chappo Hasn't Forgotten Nov 07 '19 at 00:27

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