Functions Of Language

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FUNCTIONS OF LANGUAGE BY ROMAN JAKOBSON According to Jakobson, we can divide the functions of language into six factors which are required for communication: (1) context, (2) addresseer (3) addressee, (4) contact, (5) common code, (6) message. A message is sent by the addreesser (a sender, or enunciator) to the addressee ( a receiver, or enunciatee). The message can not be understood outside of a context. “A Code” should be common fully or at least partially to the addresser and addressee. A contact which is physical channel and phsychological connection between addresser and addressee is necessary for both of them to enter and stay in communication. JAKOBSON’S COMMUNICATION MODEL Each of these six factors has a different function of language. The diversity in these functions is a result of a different hierarchical order of functions. Shortly , these six functions of verbal communication can be analyzed as follows: 1) REFERENTIAL FUNCTION: It is denotative,cognitive function which is oriented toward the ‘context’. To show things or facts, the refential function is the most obvious function of language: for example: “The earth is round.”, “Water boils at 100 degrees.” 2) EMOTIVE FUNCTION: It is also known as “expressive function”. This function focuses on the ‘addresser’. This function comes out when we want to express our emotions although we don’t speak to give an information. In this function, we communicate for ourselves more than other people who hear us or not. For example: the interjections, which are words or phrases used to express sudden surprise, pleasure or annoyance such as : “Bah!” , “Oh!” , “Yuck!” “Ouch” ,”Aie”. They are not components but equivalent of sentences. Moreover, as Roman Jakobson’s example in “Linguistics and Poetics” , only from the changes in the sound shape of the same two words ( like “this evening” ), we

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