Cover not available
Article published In:
Language, Context and Text
Vol. 5:1 (2023) ► pp.16–48

Structure markers

A subjacency duplex analysis

| The University of Sydney, Australia
ORCID logo | Australian Catholic University, Australia
In this paper we revisit the association of types of structure with modes of meaning in systemic functional linguistics (SFL). Focusing mainly on nominal group grammar, we argue that the association of experiential structure with non-recursive systems realised by multivariate structures and logical structure with recursive systems realised by univariate structures needs to be relaxed – in recognition of dependency structures consisting of two elements in a head/dependent relation. We refer to such structures as subjacency duplexes and explore their potential for the analysis of what are often dismissed in SFL as structure markers – adpositions, linkers and binders in particular.
Keywords: subjacency duplex, types of structure, structure marker, logical metafunction, recursion, nominal groups
Article outline
  • 1.Structure markers
  • 2.Experiential labelling
  • 3.Types of structure
  • 4.Recursion revisited
  • 5.Adpositions
  • 6.Linkers
  • 7.Types of system
  • 8.Subjacency duplex structure
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 26 May 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/langct.22007.mar
References (55)
References
Breban, Tine. 2010. English adjectives of comparison: Lexical and grammaticalized uses. Berlin: de Gruyter Mouton. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Caffarel, Alice, J. R. Martin & Christian M. I. M. Matthiessen. 2004. (eds.). Language typology: A functional perspective. (Current issues in linguistic theory 253). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Chomsky, Noam. 1973. Conditions on transformations. In Stephen R. Anderson & Paul Kiparsky (eds.), A festschrift for Morris Halle, 232–286. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.Google Scholar
Dixon, R. M. W. 1982. Where have all the adjectives gone?: And other essays in semantics and syntax. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Doran, Y. J. & Lungguh A. Bangga. 2022. Sundanese nominal groups: Meaning in text. Word 68(2). 145–199. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Fawcett, Robin P. 1980. Cognitive linguistics and social interaction: Towards an integrated model of a system functional grammar and the other components of a communicating mind. Heildelberg: Groos.Google Scholar
Fontaine, Lise. 2017. The English nominal group: The centrality of the Thing element. In Tom Bartlett & Gerard O’Grady (eds.), The Routledge handbook of systemic functional linguistics, 267–283. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Fontaine, Lise & David Schönthal. 2020. Referring and the nominal group: A closer look at the selector element. In Gordon Tucker, Guowen Huang, Lise Fontaine & Edward McDonald (eds.), Approaches to systemic functional grammar: Convergence and divergence, 174–190. London: Equinox.Google Scholar
Ghesquiere, Lobke. 2014. The directionality of (inter)subjectification in the English noun phrase: Pathways of change. Berlin: De Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Greenberg, Joseph H. 1963. Some universals of grammar with particular reference to the order of meaningful elements. In Joseph H. Greenberg (ed.), Universals of language, 110–113. London: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. 1981[1965]. Types of structure. In M. A. K. Halliday & J. R. Martin (eds.), Readings in systemic linguistics, 29–41. London: Batsford.Google Scholar
1985. An introduction to functional grammar. [2nd edition 1994]. London: Edward Arnold.Google Scholar
2002[1979]. Modes of meaning and modes of expression: Types of grammatical structure and their determination by different semantic functions. In D. J. Allerton, Edward Carney & David Holdcroft (eds.), Function and context in linguistics analysis: A festschrift for William Haas, 57–79. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Reproduced in M. A. K. Halliday, On grammar, volume 1 in the collected works of M.A.K. Halliday, 196–218. Edited by Jonathan J. Webster. London: Bloomsbury Academic.Google Scholar
2008. Complementarities in language. The Halliday Centre Series in Appliable Linguistics. Beijing: The Commercial Press.Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K. with Christian M. I. M. Matthiessen. 2004. An introduction to functional grammar (3rd edition). London: Edward Arnold.Google Scholar
. 2014. Halliday’s introduction to functional grammar (4th edition). London & New York: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hao, Jing & Pin Wang. 2022. Chinese nominal groups: The metaphorical realisation of figures. Word 68(2). 109–144. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hudson, Richard A. 1984. Word grammar. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
1987. Zwicky on heads. Journal of Linguistics 3(1). 109–132. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kim, Mira, J. R. Martin, Gi-Hyun Shin & Gyung Hee Choi. 2023. Korean grammar: A systemic functional approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Martin, J. R. 1988. Hypotactic recursive systems in English: Toward a functional interpretation. In James D. Benson & William S. Greaves (eds.), Systemic functional approaches to discourse: Selected papers from the 12th International Systemic Workshop, 240–270. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.Google Scholar
1995a. Logical meaning, interdependency and the linking particle {-ng/na} in Tagalog. Functions of Language 2(2). 189–228. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
1995b. Text and clause: fractal resonance. Text 15(1). 5–42.Google Scholar
1996a. Types of structure: Deconstructing notions of constituency in clause and text. In Edward H. Hovy & Donia R. Scott. (eds.), Computational and conversational discourse: Burning issues – an interdisciplinary account, 39–66. Heidelberg: Springer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
1996b. Transitivity in Tagalog: A functional interpretation of case. In Margaret Berry, Christopher Butler, Robin P. Fawcett & Guowen Huang (eds.), Meaning and form: Systemic functional interpretations, 229–296. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex.Google Scholar
2000. Factoring out exchange: Types of structure. In Malcolm Coulthard (ed.), Working with Dialogue, 19–40. Tubingen: Niemeyer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2004a. Prosodic ‘structure’: Grammar for negotiation. Ilha do desterro: A journal of English language, literatures in English and cultural studies 461. 41–82. (Special issue on systemic functional linguistics in action).Google Scholar
2004b. Metafunctional profile: Tagalog. In Alice Caffarel, J. R. Martin & Christian M. I. M. Matthiessen (eds.), Language typology: A functional perspective, 255–304. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2008. What kind of structure? Interpersonal meaning and prosodic realisation across strata. Word 59(2). 113–143. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2018. Meaning beyond the clause: Co-textual relations. Linguistics and the Human Sciences 11(1–2). 203–235. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Martin, J. R. & Prixie Cruz. 2018. Interpersonal grammar of Tagalog: A systemic functional linguistics perspective. In J. R. Martin (ed.), Functions of Language 25(1). 54–96. (Special issue on interpersonal meaning: Systemic functional linguistics perspectives). DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2022. Reconstruing our world: An ecolinguistic perspective on Tagalog nominal group resources. Word 68(2). 200–237. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Martin, J. R. & Y. J. Doran. 2015. (eds.). Grammatical descriptions. ( Critical concepts in linguistics: Systemic functional linguistics, volume 2 ). London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Martin, J. R., Y. J. Doran & Giacomo Figueredo. 2020. (eds.). Systemic functional language description: Making meaning matter. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Martin, J. R., Y. J. Doran & Dongbing Zhang. 2021. Nominal group grammar: System and structure. Word 67(3). 248–280. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Martin, J. R., Clare Painter & Christian M. I. M. Matthiessen. 2010. Deploying functional grammar. Beijing: Commercial Press.Google Scholar
Martin, J. R., Beatriz Quiroz & Pin Wang. 2023. Systemic functional grammar: Another step into the theory: A text-based description of English, Spanish and Chinese. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Martin, J. R. & Gi-Hyun Shin. 2021. Korean nominal groups: System and structure. Word 67(3). 387–429. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Matthiessen, Christian M. I. M. 1995. Lexicogrammatical cartography: English systems. Tokyo: International Sciences Publishers.Google Scholar
2015. Systemic functional morphology: The lexicogrammar of the word. In Rosa de Souza (ed.), Estudos de Descrição Funcionalista: Objetos e Abordagens, 150–199. München: LINCOM.Google Scholar
Matthiessen, Christian M. I. M. & M. A. K. Halliday. 2009. Systemic functional grammar: A first step into the theory. Beijing: Higher Education Press.Google Scholar
McDonald, Edward. 2017. Form and function in groups. In Tom Bartlett & Gerard O’Grady (eds.), The Routledge handbook of systemic functional linguistics, 251–266. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Mwinlaaru, Isaac N. & Winfred W. Xuan. 2016. A survey of studies in systemic functional language description and typology. Functional Linguistics 3(8). 1–41. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pittman, Richard S. 1948. Nuclear structures in linguistics. Language 24(3). 287–292. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Quiroz, Beatriz & J. R. Martin. 2021. Perfil sistémico-funcional del grupo nominal en español: Estructura, funciones discursivas básicas y organización sistémica. Estudios Filológicos 123–151. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Quiroz, Beatriz, J. R. Martin & Giacomo Figueredo. 2021. (eds.). Interpersonal grammar: Systemic functional linguistic theory and description. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Rose, David. 2001. The Western Desert code: An Australian cryptogrammar. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.Google Scholar
. 2021. Nominal groups in Pitjantjatjara. Word 68(1). 45–80. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Shin, Gi-Hyun. 2018. Interpersonal grammar of Korean: A systemic functional linguistics perspective. In J. R. Martin (ed.), Functions of language 25(1). 20–53. (Special issue on interpersonal meaning: Systemic functional linguistics perspectives). DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Stosic, Dragana. 2021. Serbian nominal groups: System and structure. Word 67(4). 431–460. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Szenes, Eszter. In preparation. Modelling big texts in systemic functional linguistics: A systematic review. Language, Context and Text: The Social Semiotics Forum.
Tucker, Gordon H. 1998. The lexicogrammar of adjectives: A systemic functional approach to lexis. London: Cassell.Google Scholar
Vandelanotte, Lieven. 2002. Prenominal adjectives in English: Structures and ordering. Folia Linguistica XXXVI (3–4). 219–260. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Wang, Pin. 2020. Construing entities through nominal groups in Chinese. In Michele Zappavigna & Shoshana Dreyfus (eds.), Discourses of hope and reconciliation: On J.R. Martin’s contribution to systemic functional linguistics, 57–84. London: Bloomsbury. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Zwicky, Arnold M. 1985. Clitics and particles. Language 61(2). 283–305. DOI logoGoogle Scholar