Linguistic Functions

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
 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;
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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]
Ideational Experiential and Logical

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.
Interpersonal: interact with world and the others
Language is used as an interpersonal instrument of

communication
 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
 Experiential meaning LANGUAGE AS REFLECTION
 Interpersonal meaning LANGUAGE AS (INTER)ACTION

The Logical meaning
(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
The two halves have different speech functions:
1) Command: a request 2) Offer

The Logical meaning
What is the meaning/effect of the coordiantion of a:
1) Command 2) Offer
The Logical meaning
We need to reinterpret it in some other relationship:
o Parataxis
oHypotaxis
The Logical meaning
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
o Experiential meaning metaphor
o Logical meaning metaphor

The Logical meaning
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
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
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
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
The Textual meaning
Property of discourse:
 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
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
Field of discourse
Tenor of discourse
Mode of discourse
What can we say about these headings and the linguistic features
that are found in the poem?
Field of discourse
Field of discourse: where is it reflected in the semantics?
 vocabulary: drink, cup, wine, kiss, eyes, pledge, ecc.
Transitivity structures in the verbal processes: pledge, ask for.

Field of discourse experiential function
 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.
What can we say about this heading and the linguistic

features that are found in the poem?
Tenor of discourse
 Person: I, you
Speech function: command (specifically a request), offer (
specifically an undertaking).
How are the command and request realized gramatically?
Tenor of discourse interpersonal meaning
 The Tenor is expressed through the interpersonal funtion in the semantics.

What can we say about this heading and the linguistic

features that are found in the poem?
 Theme: person oriented; ‘I’, You’
 metric structure, rithm,

Mode textual function

 Theme: person oriented; ‘I’, You’
 metric structure, rithm,
Cohesive relations,
The mode is expressed through the textual function in the semantics

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.)
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)

Linguistic Functions

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The Functions of Language

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

 The Emotive function can be observed when language is

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

 The Referential function concerns the simple exposition

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

 The conative/persuasive is at work when language is

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

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

 Discoursive formulae in greetings or leave takings and openings of

 The metalinguistc function is centred on the code.

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

 The poetic function is focused upon the message.

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

 In verbal messages these functions can hardly ever be

Predominant function text-type

Experiential [clause as representation]

Ideational Experiential and Logical

Ideational: encode reality into words

Language is used as a symbolic code to represent the

Interpersonal: interact with world and the others

Language is used as an interpersonal instrument of

Language is used to construct text

Actor Process Goal Locative Sayer polarity Process Goal

•‘you’ ‘do that’ I ‘ll not ‘do this’

 Experiential meaning LANGUAGE AS REFLECTION

 Interpersonal meaning LANGUAGE AS (INTER)ACTION

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

The two halves have different speech functions:

The two halves have different speech functions:

1) Command: a request 2) Offer

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

We need to reinterpret it in some other relationship:

We need to reinterpret it hypotactically by the use of

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

o Experiential meaning metaphor

o Logical meaning metaphor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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;

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

Jakobson’s emotive and metalinguistic and poetic functions

Conative/persuasive and the phatic functions under the

Referential under the ideational.

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

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

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

Field of discourse experiential function

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

What can we say about this heading and the linguistic

Tenor of discourse interpersonal meaning

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

What can we say about this heading and the linguistic

 Theme: person oriented; ‘I’, You’

 metric structure, rithm,

Mode textual function

 Theme: person oriented; ‘I’, You’