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Text linguistics. “Text”. the spoken or written evocation of an event or series of events (p.193). Event. Homer eats crap. Event Schema: Doing. Event. Homer eats crap. Event Schema: Doing. “Text”. I.e., ‘one or more sentences’. “Text”. I.e., ‘ one or more sentence s ’. “Text”.
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Text linguistics English 306A; Harris
“Text” • the spoken or written evocation of an event or series of events • (p.193) English 306A; Harris
Event • Homer eats crap. • Event Schema: Doing English 306A; Harris
Event • Homer eats crap. • Event Schema: Doing English 306A; Harris
“Text” • I.e., ‘one or more sentences’ English 306A; Harris
“Text” • I.e., ‘one or more sentences’ English 306A; Harris
“Text” • texere • to weave • text • utterances (usually sentences) woven into a perceived whole English 306A; Harris
“Text” Clusters of language, at least two clauses big, perceived as a functioning unit: woven language. For purposes of analysis, that is, we close our eyes to para- and extra-verbal dimensions. English 306A; Harris
Textual function = Weaving function The elements and dimensions of language that serve to weave a discourse together. English 306A; Harris
Weave Material Pattern Text—Perceived wholeThe two weaving mechanisms English 306A; Harris
Cohesion Coherence Text—Perceived wholeThe two weaving mechanisms Texture English 306A; Harris
Text—Perceived wholeThe two weaving mechanisms • Cohesion (elements) • achieved by formal devices, usually lexico-syntactic • semasiological • Coherence (dimensions) • achieved by conceptual devices (‘ideas’) • onomasiological English 306A; Harris
Text—Perceived wholeThe two weaving mechanisms Form • Cohesion (elements) • achieved by formal devices, usually lexico-syntactic • semasiological • Coherence (dimensions) • achieved by conceptual devices (‘ideas’) • onomasiological Content English 306A; Harris
Cohesion / Coherence • Cohesion (& coherence) • Don’t trust McBean, because he’s a shyster. • Coherence (low cohesion) • Don’t trust McBean. He’s a shyster. English 306A; Harris
Cohesion without coherence (?) • A week has seven days.Every day I feed my cat.The cat is on the mat.Mat has three letters. Letters are roughly phonemic. I better phone my mother. English 306A; Harris
Text LinguisticsCohesion / Coherence • Cohesion--formal, semasiological • Structural • Iteration, balance (iteration of structure), connectives • Coherence—conceptual, onomasiological • Referential • Topical; definite, indefinite • Relational • Paratactic (among nuclei) • Hypotactic (between nucleus and satellite[s]) English 306A; Harris
Referential coherence--Definite/Indefinite • Indefinite • Presented, unknown, ‘new’ • Definite • Established, understood, ‘given’ A cat is at the door The cat is at the door English 306A; Harris
Referential coherence--Indefinite • A stranger zipped up in the strangest of cars. • Signalled by an indefinite determiner (a, an, some). • Used to introduce (new) topics and characters. English 306A; Harris
Referential coherence--Definite Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches Had bellies with stars. Signalled by a definite determiner (the). Used to refer to understood (given, old) topics and characters. English 306A; Harris
Referential coherence--Topical • When the Star-Belly Sneetches had frankfurter roasts • Or picnics or parties or marshmallow toasts, • They never invited the Plain-Belly Sneetches. • They left them out cold, in the dark of the beaches • They kept them away. Never let them come near. • And that’s how they treated them year after year. English 306A; Harris
Referential coherence--Topical • When the had frankfurter roasts • Or picnics or parties or marshmallow toasts, • They never invited the . • They left them out cold, in the dark of the beaches • They kept them away. Never let them come near. • And that’s how they treated them year after year. English 306A; Harris
Referential coherence--Topical • Phrasal • Identical • Partial • Proformal • Anaphoric • (Cataphoric) • Elliptical English 306A; Harris
Referential coherence / Repetitious cohesionPhrasal (content words, not proforms) • Identical (full iteration) • Star-Belly Sneetches… blah blah blah … Star-Belly Sneetches • Plain-Belly Sneetches… blah blah blah … Plain-Belly Sneetches • Sylvester McMonkey McBean… blah blah blah … Sylvester McMonkey McBean English 306A; Harris
Referential coherence / Repetitious cohesion Phrasal (content words, not proforms) • Partial (reduction) • Star-Belly Sneetches…blah blah blah … Star-Bellies … • Sylvester McMonkey McBean…blah blah blah … McBean • Partial (paraphrase) • Star-Belly Sneetches…blah blah blah … Sneetches with stars • Plain-Belly Sneetches…blah blah blah … Sneetches without [stars on their bellies] English 306A; Harris
Referential coherence Proformal (not content words) • When theStar-Belly Sneetchesihadjfrankfurter roasts • Or ØiØjpicnics or Øi Øjparties or Øi Øj marshmallow toasts, • Theyi never invited the Plain-Belly Sneetchesk. • Theyi left themk out cold, in the dark of the beaches • Theyi kept themk away. Øi Never let themkcome near. • And that’s how theyi treated themk year after year. i k English 306A; Harris
Referential coherence Proformal (not content words) • Star-Belly Sneetchesi • Anaphoric • Theyinever invited … • Elliptical • Øi never let them … English 306A; Harris
Referential coherenceProformal (not content words) • Cataphoric • Theyi… Star-Belly Sneetchesi English 306A; Harris
Referential coherence Proformal (not content words) • Cataphoric • And he laughed as he drove • In his car up the beach • “Theyi never will learn. • No. You can’t teach a sneetchi!” English 306A; Harris
Referential coherenceProformal (not content words) • Cataphoric • Then I was deep within the woods • When, suddenly, I spied themi. • I saw a pair of pale green pantsi • With nobody inside themi! English 306A; Harris
Referential coherenceProformal (not content words) • Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches • Had belliesi with starsj. • The Plain-Belly Sneetchesk • Had nonej upon thars(i,k). English 306A; Harris
Referential coherenceProformal (not content words) • Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches • Had belliesi with starsj. • The Plain-Belly Sneetchesk • Had nonej upon thars(i,k). • Alternate analysis • [Plain-Bellyi Sneetches]j • … tharjØis English 306A; Harris
Relational coherenceRestatement • So they clambered inside. Then the big machine roared. • And it klonked. And it bonked. And it jerked. And it berked. • And it bopped them about. But the thing really worked! • When the Plain-Belly Sneetches popped out, they had stars! • They actually did.They had stars upon thars. Nucleus Restatements A satellite which reformulates (paraphrases) the information given in the nucleus. English 306A; Harris
Relational coherenceConcession • So they clambered inside.Then the big machine roared. • And it klonked. And it bonked. And it jerked. And it berked. • And it bopped them about.But the thing really worked! • When the Plain-Belly Sneetches popped out, they had stars! • They actually did. They had stars upon thars. Concessions Nucleus A satellite which concedes potential incompatibilities with the information presented in the nucleus. English 306A; Harris
Relational coherence • Paratactic • Among elements of equal importance to the text; between nuclei • Hypotactic • Among elements in which one (the nucleus) is more important to the text, and the other (the satellite) extends it in some way. English 306A; Harris
Relational coherenceParatactic relations • Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches • Had bellies with stars. • The Plain-Belly Sneetches • Had noneupon thars. • Contrast • theme, character Nuclei English 306A; Harris
Relational coherenceParatactic relations Nuclei • Off again! On again! • In again! Out again! • Sequence • Narrative elements • Contrast • Plot development(equality of characters!) Nuclei English 306A; Harris
Relational coherenceHypotactic relations • Nucleus • Utterance that contributes to the core of the text (the story, the argument, the instruction, …). • Satellite • Utterance that is peripheral to text, and which depends on a nucleus (that it extends, explains, frames, …) English 306A; Harris
Hypotactic relations Nucleus and satellite • Then ONE day, it seems, … while the Plain-Belly Sneetches • Were moping and doping alone on the beaches, • Just sitting there wishing their bellies had stars … • A stranger zipped up in the strangest of cars. English 306A; Harris
Hypotactic relations Nucleus and satellite • Then ONE day, it seems, … while the Plain-Belly Sneetches • Were moping and doping alone on the beaches, • Just sitting there wishing their bellies had stars … • A stranger zipped up in the strangest of cars. English 306A; Harris
Hypotactic relations Nucleus and satellite • Then ONE day, it seems, … while the Plain-Belly Sneetches • Were moping and doping alone on the beaches, • Just sitting there wishing their bellies had stars … • A stranger zipped up in the strangest of cars. Nucleus Satellites English 306A; Harris
Nucleus and satellite Circumstance • Then ONE day, it seems, … while the Plain-Belly Sneetches • Were moping and doping alone on the beaches, • Just sitting there wishing their bellies had stars … • A stranger zipped up in the strangest of cars. Nucleus Satellites Circumstance English 306A; Harris
Nucleus and satellite Circumstance • Then ONE day, it seems, … while the Plain-Belly Sneetches • Were moping and doping alone on the beaches, • Just sitting there wishing their bellies had stars … • A stranger zipped up in the strangest of cars. Nucleus Satellites Circumstance A satellite which gives the framework in which the reader isintended to interpret the situation described in the nucleus. English 306A; Harris
Multiple relations • And I’ve heard of your troubles. I’ve heard you’re unhappy. • But I can fix that. I’m the Fix-it-up Chappie. • I’ve come here to help you. I have what you need. • And my prices are low. And I work at great speed. • And my work is one-hundred percent guaranteed. English 306A; Harris
Contrast And I’ve heard of your troubles. I’ve heard you’re unhappy. But I can fix that. I’m the Fix-it-up Chappie. I’ve come here to help you. I have what you need. And my prices are low. And I work at great speed. And my work is one-hundred percent guaranteed. Nuclei English 306A; Harris
Solutionhood • And I’ve heard of your troubles. I’ve heard you’re unhappy. • But I can fix that. I’m the Fix-it-up Chappie. • I’ve come here to help you. I have what you need. • And my prices are low. And I work at great speed. • And my work is one-hundred percent guaranteed. Problem(s) Nucleus The nucleus is a solution to the problem described in the satelite. English 306A; Harris
Justification And I’ve heard of your troubles. I’ve heard you’re unhappy. But I can fix that.I’m the Fix-it-up Chappie. I’ve come here to help you. I have what you need. And my prices are low. And I work at great speed. And my work is one-hundred percent guaranteed. Nucleus Justifications A satellite which increases the reader’s readiness to accept the writer’s right to present the information in the nucleus. English 306A; Harris
Justification Not in a box. Not with a fox. … I would not eat green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am. English 306A; Harris
Justification Not in a box. Not with a fox. … I would not eat green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am. Nucleus Justification English 306A; Harris
Justification Not in a box. Not with a fox. … I would not eat green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam-I-am. Elaborations Nucleus Justification English 306A; Harris