The Functions of Language

Jakobson’s functions
Halliday’s Metafunctions
1. Introduction

LANGUAGE IS A CODE, a system of sign-words based on

socio-cultural conventions that are determined by
means of evolutionary process affecting various societal
aspects (cultural, historical, economic, etc.)
Language performs a number of functions:
Jakobson’s Functions

1. Emotive/Expressive
2. Referential/Informative
3. Conative/Persuasive/directive
4. Phatic
5. Metalinguistic
6. Poetic/Aestethic
Language performs a number of functions:

 The Emotive function can be observed when language is

centred upon the sender so that the text expresses the
sender’s feelings or thoughts or views.

It is predominantly at work in text types such as diaries, letters,

personal writings;
Language performs a number of functions:

 The Referential function concerns the simple exposition

of information, facts, concepts.

It can be mainly observed in text types such as historical and

scientific writing, newspaper reports.
Language performs a number of functions:

 The conative/persuasive is at work when language is

mainly used to persuade the reader to accept an offer, a
request, a command.

It is frequently expressed by the vocative or imperative and it is

mainly employed in advertising or promotional discourse.
Language performs a number of functions:

 The phatic function (from latin fàri ‘speak’) can be

observed in the maintenance and in the creation of contact
between sender and receiver.

 Discoursive formulae in greetings or leave takings and openings of

Radio-TV broadcast can be listed among the most relevant examples.
Language performs a number of functions:

 The metalinguistc function is centred on the code.

 It is the fuction of language being used to explain the meaning of

words, structure, or any discourse about language itself.
Language performs a number of functions:

 The poetic function is focused upon the message.

 It can be observed in the use of rhythm or ornate figures which

allow meaningful nuances and exploitation of the many resources of
creative language.
Language performs a number of functions:

 In verbal messages these functions can hardly ever be

found neatly separate, the predominant function allows
identifying the nature of the text-type.

Predominant function text-type

Halliday’s metafunctions

Experiential [clause as representation]

Logical
Interpersonal [clause as interaction]
Textual [clause as message]
Halliday’s metafunctions

Ideational Experiential and Logical

Halliday’s metafunctions

Ideational: encode reality into words

Language is used as a symbolic code to represent the

world around us, to conceptualise the world for ourselves
and the others.
Halliday’s metafunctions

Interpersonal: interact with world and the others

Language is used as an interpersonal instrument of

communication
Halliday’s metafunctions

 Textual:

Language is used to construct text

Experiential meaning

Experiential structure

•Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine

[‘you’ ] [leave] [ kiss] ‘[in cup’ ] [I ] ‘ll [not] [ask for] [wine ]

Actor Process Goal Locative Sayer polarity Process Goal

‘action’ ‘verbal’
Interpersonal meaning

Interpersonal structure

•Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine (Ben
Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

•‘you’ ‘do that’ I ‘ll not ‘do this’

Subject Residue Subject Finite Residue
Command: request offer: undertaking
Halliday’s metafunctions

 Experiential meaning LANGUAGE AS REFLECTION

 Interpersonal meaning LANGUAGE AS (INTER)ACTION

The Logical meaning

•Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

The two halves of the sentences are related in some way

The two halves have different speech functions:

The Logical meaning

•Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

The two halves have different speech functions:

1) Command: a request 2) Offer

The Logical meaning

•Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

What is the meaning/effect of the coordiantion of a:

1) Command 2) Offer
The Logical meaning

•Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

We need to reinterpret it in some other relationship:

o Parataxis

oHypotaxis
The Logical meaning

•Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

We need to reinterpret it hypotactically by the use of

“if-clause relationship.

As it could be reinterpreted as: ‘offer conditional on

acceptance of request’
The Logical meaning

•Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

o Experiential meaning metaphor

o Logical meaning metaphor

The Logical meaning

•Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

We could express this as : “if you leave a kiss within the

cup, then I will not ask for wine”

Interpersonal meaning is “if you (agree to) do this,

then I will (undertake) not (to) do that”.
The Logical meaning

•Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

To do this we have to invoke a third function of language, a third aspect of the

organixation of the semantic system:

LOGICAL RELATIONS

 that represent the meaning “if ….then …”

“if you leave a kiss within the cup, then I will not ask for wine”.
The Logical meaning

•Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

To do this we have to invoke a third function of language, a third aspect of the

organixation of the semantic system:

LOGICAL RELATIONS

 that represent the meaning “if ….then …”

“if you leave a kiss within the cup, then I will not ask for wine”.
The Textual meaning

•Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

Property of discourse:

•Drink to me only with thine eyes And I’ll pledge with mine
Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )
The Textual meaning

Property of discourse:

•Drink to me only with thine eyes And I’ll pledge with mine
Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

 1) The pattern of “you do (A) and I’ll do (B) is repeaded on both occasions.

 Again the meaning of “if” :‘if you only drink to me with your eyes, then I will
pleadge with mine”, paralleled by ‘if you leave a kiss within the cup, then I’ll not
ask for wine’

In both cases there is the same pattern: a request followed by an offer.
The Textual meaning
•Drink to me only with thine eyes And I’ll pledge with mine
Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

1) This repetition is one aspect of texture.

2) Another component of the texture depends on rhythm and intonation;

3) Another feture is texture is the metric structure;

To sum up:

Four different aspects: these are the four components in the

semantics of every language:

 Experiential
Interpersonal
Logical
Textual
Jackobson’s and Hallidays’s functions

Jakobson’s emotive and metalinguistic and poetic functions

can be subsumed under Halliday’s textual function.

Conative/persuasive and the phatic functions under the

interpersonal

Referential under the ideational.

The relationship of the text and its context of situation

•Drink to me only with thine eyes And I’ll pledge with mine
Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

Field of discourse

Tenor of discourse

Mode of discourse
The relationship of the text and its context of situation

What can we say about these headings and the linguistic features
that are found in the poem?

Field of discourse

•Drink to me only with thine eyes And I’ll pledge with mine
Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )
The relationship of the text and its context of situation

Field of discourse: where is it reflected in the semantics?

•Drink to me only with thine eyes And I’ll pledge with mine
Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

 vocabulary: drink, cup, wine, kiss, eyes, pledge, ecc.

Transitivity structures in the verbal processes: pledge, ask for.

The relationship of the text and its context of situation

Field of discourse experiential function

•Drink to me only with thine eyes And I’ll pledge with mine
Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

 The field of discourse is reflected in one mode of meaning which

is referred to as the ‘experiential’ mode. The field is expressed in the
experiential function in the semantics.
The relationship of the text and its context of situation

What can we say about this heading and the linguistic

features that are found in the poem?

Tenor of discourse
•Drink to me only with thine eyes And I’ll pledge with mine
Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )
 Person: I, you
Speech function: command (specifically a request), offer (
specifically an undertaking).
How are the command and request realized gramatically?
The relationship of the text and its context of situation

Tenor of discourse interpersonal meaning

•Drink to me only with thine eyes And I’ll pledge with mine
Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

 The Tenor is expressed through the interpersonal funtion in the semantics.

The relationship of the text and its context of situation

What can we say about this heading and the linguistic

features that are found in the poem?

•Drink to me only with thine eyes And I’ll pledge with mine
Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

 Theme: person oriented; ‘I’, You’

 metric structure, rithm,

The relationship of the text and its context of situation

Mode textual function

•Drink to me only with thine eyes And I’ll pledge with mine
Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I’ll not ask for wine
(Ben Jonson: ‘To Celia’ )

 Theme: person oriented; ‘I’, You’

 metric structure, rithm,

Cohesive relations,

The mode is expressed through the textual function in the semantics

The relationship of the text and its context of situation

To sum up:

SITUATION realised by TEXT

Feature of the context Functional component of the semantic system

Field of discourse (what is going on) Experiential meaning.

(transitivity, naming, etc.)

Tenor of discourse (who are taking part) Interpersonal meaning (speech

function, person, etc.)

Mode of discourse (role assigned to language) Textual.m. (theme, coesive

relation, rithm, intonation repetition, etc.)
The relationship of the text and its context of situation

To sum up:

SITUATION realised by TEXT

Feature of the context Functional component of the semantic system

Field of discourse (what is going on): love poem:Love expressed as a

metaphor.

Tenor of discourse (who are taking part) man and woman, love and
beloved.

Mode of discourse (role assigned to language) poetic genre, spoken/written.

(Halliday 1994, Halliday and Matthiessen 2004; Halliday and Hasan 1989)