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Introduction to Logic Common Forms and Functions of Language

. Three Basic Functions are generally noted: there is perhaps nothing more subtle than language is, and nothing has as many different uses. Without a doubt, identifying just these three basic functions is an oversimplification, but an awareness of these functions is a good introduction to the co

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Introduction to Logic Common Forms and Functions of Language

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    1. Introduction to Logic Common Forms and Functions of Language

    2. Three Basic Functions are generally noted: there is perhaps nothing more subtle than language is, and nothing has as many different uses. Without a doubt, identifying just these three basic functions is an oversimplification, but an awareness of these functions is a good introduction to the complexity of language .

    3. The Functions of Language 1-Informative language function: essentially, the communication of information. a. The informative function affirms or denies propositions, as in science. b. This function is used to describe the world or reason about it (e.g.., whether a state of affairs is true or false). c. These sentences have a truth value; hence, they are important for logic.

    4. 2-Expressive language function: reports feelings or attitudes of the writer (or speaker), or of the subject, or evokes feelings in the reader (or listener). a. Poetry is one of the best examples, but much of, perhaps most of, ordinary language discourse is the expression of emotions, feelings or attitudes. b. Two main aspects are generally noted: (1) to evoke certain feelings and (2) to express feelings. c. Expressive discourse, qua expressive discourse, is best regarded as neither true or false. E.g., Shakespeare's King Lear's lament, "Ripeness is all!" Even so, the nature of "fictional statements" is an interesting area of inquiry.

    5. 3. Directive language function: language used for the purpose of causing (or preventing) overt actions. a. The directive function is most commonly found in commands and requests. b. Directive language is not normally considered true or false (although a logic of commands have been developed). c. Example: "Close the windows."

    6. Notice that the intended use in a particular instance often depends more on the specific context and tone of voice than it does on the grammatical form or vocabulary of what is said. The simple declarative sentence, "I'm hungry," for example, could be used to report on a physiological condition, or to express a feeling, or implicitly to request that someone feed me. In fact, uses of two or more varieties may be mixed together in a single utterance; "Stop that," for example, usually involves both expressive and directive functions jointly. In many cases, however, it is possible to identify a single use of language that is probably intended to be the primary function of a particular linguistic unit.

    7. Notice that Many of the most common words and phrases of any language have both a literal or descriptive meaning that refers to the way things are and an emotive meaning that expresses some (positive or negative) feeling about them.

    8. FACTORS OF COMMUNICATION AND FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE According to Jakobson, any act of verbal communication is composed of six elements, or factors (the terms of the model): (1) a context (the co-text, that is, the other verbal signs in the same message, and the world in which the message takes place), (2) an addresser (a sender, or enunciator ), (3) an addressee (a receiver, or enunciatee), (4) a contact between an addresser and addressee, (5) a common code and (6) a message.

    9. Each factor is the focal point of an oriented relation, or function, that operates between the message and the factor. This yields six functions:

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