The metalinguistic function is one of the six functions of language and aims to explain some aspect of language itself. For example:The antonym of good is bad .
This function is used when trying to convey something about the code with which the interlocutors are communicating. Thus, it involves using language as a reference or topic of communication, whether oral or written. For example:What does the word mean?restitution?
Remember :A code is the system of signs used to transmit a message, and it must be common to both the sender and the receiver for effective communication. For example: Spanish, Morse code, and language for the deaf.
The metalinguistic function of language is used, among other things, to clarify doubts about language or explain issues related to its functioning, such as when we talk about the meaning of a word, its sense in a particular context, or pronunciation rules. For example:The word procrastinate means to defer or postpone.
It is also used in literary translation and second language acquisition. Dictionaries, spelling guides, grammar books, and linguistics textbooks also use this function to communicate knowledge about different languages. For example:The verbreadis transitive.
Examples of the metalinguistic function
- The first word after a period is capitalized.
- The term beautiful is synonymous with beautiful .
- Por is a preposition.
- Acute words are accented on the last syllable, but only have an accent mark when they end in the letters n, s , or a vowel.
- What does “cut to the chase” mean?
- Verb conjugation indicates person, number, and mood.
- The word bank is polysemic, since it can refer to a bank account or a banking institution.
- The letter h is silent, since it is not pronounced when speaking.
- Rhyming words are those that repeat the final sounds from the last stressed vowel.
- Proper names of people or places are always capitalized, regardless of their location in the sentence.
- What does parrot mean in English?
- The months of the year are written in lowercase.
- The metalinguistic function is one of the six functions of language.
- There are two types of letters: vowels and consonants.
- Words and sentences can have different meanings for each person and depending on the context in which the communication takes place.
- The Italian language has several distinct dialects.
- How do you spell the plural of pencil ?
- The words “mano” and “mono” have three letters in common and sound similar, but their meaning is very different.
- The imperative verbal mood is used to give orders to the interlocutor.
- What do you mean I don’t understand you?
- The word otorhinolaryngology has twenty letters.
- When the letter u has two dots above it, it is said to have an umlaut, and this indicates that it should be pronounced.
- Adjectives are words that provide information about the nouns they modify.
- Affixes are morphemes that modify the original meaning of a word, and can be prefixes (if they are placed before) or suffixes (if they are placed after).
- How do you spell the word transformation ?
- The word thread derives from the term filum , from Latin.
- Antonyms are words whose meanings are opposite to each other, for example: pretty and ugly , tall and short .
- Exclamatory sentences have a particular intonation, are written between exclamation marks, and are used to express certain moods.
- The double r (as in dog ) has a strong pronunciation, which is achieved by vibrating the tongue against the palate.
- Sentences can have one or more words.
The functions of language were identified by the Russian linguist Roman Jakobson (1896-1982) and represent the different purposes for which language is used in communication. Each of them focuses on one of the elements of the communicative situation.
In addition to the metalinguistic function, there are five other functions of language:
- Appellative or conative function . It focuses on the recipient and is used to incite or motivate the interlocutor to perform an action. For example:Please go close the window.
- Referential, representative, or informative function . It focuses on the message’s referent and context and is used to convey specific information linked to objective reality. For example:The exam is on Tuesday.
- Emotive, expressive , or symptomatic function . It focuses on the speaker and is used to express feelings, emotions, physical states, sensations, and desires. For example:I miss you!
- Poetic or aesthetic function . It focuses on the message and its form and is used to create an aesthetic effect, given that it prioritizes the way in which what is intended to be conveyed is expressed. For example:Three sad tigers were eating wheat in a wheat field.
- Phatic or contact function . It focuses on the channel and is used to establish, prolong, or interrupt a conversation. It also serves to confirm whether the channel is suitable and enables exchange. For example:Can you hear it well in the background?
