Semiotics of Culture and Language: Volume 1 Language as Social Semiotic

Description

Semiotics - the study of the general principles of signs and sign systems - is crucial to an understanding of human nature, both social and psychological. The sign systems that we use for interaction with other living beings determine our potential for thought and social action, and language is central among them. It is the implicit claim of this two-volume work that linguistics has something very specific to give to semiotics, and many would further claim that relational network models of language in particular, i.e. systematic and stratificational linguistics, have a fundamental contribution to make. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents List of Figures List of Tables Foreword Introduction BIBLIOGRAPHY Part I: Language as social semiotic 1 Language as code and language as behaviour: a systemic-functional interpretation of the nature and ontogenesis of dialogue 1.1 Code and behaviour 1.2 Context, prediction, and choice 1.3 A model of dialogue 1.4 Some examples of dialogue between parent and child 1.5 The origins of dialogue 1.6 Conclusion NOTE Bibliography 2 Metaphors of information 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Structures of discourse 2.3 Discussion 3 How universal is a localist hypothesis? A linguistic contribution to the study of 'semantic styles' of language 3.1 The localist thesis in the history of linguistics 3.2 A verb-centred reformulation of the thesis 3.3 Surface cues to common underlying patterns 3.4 Formalization of underlying structural patterns 3.5 Contrastive realization in English and Japanese 3.6 Focus on vs. suppression of agentivity 3.7 Testimonies referring to the same type of contrast 3.8 Towards a psycholinguistic explanation 3.9 A possible 'locus'/'condition' neutralization 3.10 Concluding remarks NOTES Bibliography 4 Some speculations on language contact in a wider setting 4.1 Introduction 4.2 General language-culture contact 4.2.1 Language contact as a whole and language functions 4.2.2 Culture contact in general 4.2.3 Language contact as a whole and culture contact 4.3 Bilingualism 4.3.1 Bilingualism and social setting 4.3.2 Bilingualism and culture contact 4.3.3 Bilingualism and register networks, semiotic methodology 4.4 Becker-type Sprachbunde 4.4.1 ISprachbund (Becker) and social setting 4.4.2 Sprachbund (Becker) and culture contact; semiotic methodology 4.4.3 Sprachbund (Becker) and linguistic relativity 4.5 Balkan-type Sprachbunde 4.5.1 Sprachbund (pre-Becker) and language functions 4.5.2 Sprachbund (pre-Becker) and culture contact 4.5.3 Sprachbund (pre-Becker) and linguistic relativity 4.5.4 Sprachbund (pre-Becker) and interlanguage etc. 4.6 Pidgins and Creoles 4.6.1 Pidgins and Creoles and Sprachbiinde 4.6.2 Pidgins and Creoles and language functions 4.6.3 Pidgins and Creoles and linguistic relativity 4.6.4 Pidgins and Creoles and register networks 4.7 Conclusion NOTES Bibliography 5 Ways of saying: ways of meaning 5.1 Culture and semiotic styles 5.1.1 Introductory remarks 5.1.2 Semiotic and semantic styles 5.1.3 Culture consonance and culture conflict 5.1.4 Semantic distance 5.2 Implicit and explicit styles 5.2.1 Implicit and explicit ways of saying 5.2.2 Implicit devices 5.2.3 The interpretation of implicit devices: endophora 5.2.4 The interpretation of implicit devices: exophora 5.3 Endophoric and exophoric interpretation 5.3.1 Endophoric interpretation and implicit style 5.3.2 Exophoric interpretation and implicit style 5.3.3 Instantial exophorics 5.3.4 Intermediate exophoric 5.3.5 Restricted exophoric 5.3.6 Formal exophoric 5.4 Degrees of implicitness 5.4.1 Encoding devices and degrees of implicitness 5.4.2 Inherent grading of implicit devices 5.4.3 Inherent grading of explicit devices 5.4.4 On establishing degrees of implicitness 5.5 English semantic style 5.5.1 The semantic style of English 5.5.2 Degrees of permissible implicitness in English 5.5.3 Environments for the operation of implicit styles 5.5.4 Concluding remarks on English semantic styles 5.6 Urdu semantic style 5.6.1 Implicitness in Urdu 5.6.2 S-ellipsis in Urdu 5.6.3 Formal exophoric S-ellipsis in Urdu 5.6.4 Restricted exophoric ellipsis in Urdu 5.6.5 Complement ellipsis in Urdu 5.6.6 The semantic style of Urdu 5.7 Language and social systems 5.7.1 Social factors in the interpretation of implicit styles 5.7.2 Role systems and their non-verbal manifestations 5.7.3 Social structure and language system 5.7.4 Implicit style in English speaking community 5.7.5 Conclusions NOTES Bibliography Index