Overview

"The papers in this volume focus on subject and theme. ""Theme"" began its life as a semantic notion in the work of Vilem Mathesius, while ""subject"" has traditionally been seen as just a syntactic entity. More recently, two related perspectives on these concepts have attracted linguists' attention: the formal criteria for their recognition and the relations between the two concepts. Using the systemic functional model as their point of departure, the papers in this volume consider the two notions in a wider context by relating them to the interpersonal and textural metafunctions of language. By contrast with the current linguistic approaches, the primary focus here is neither simply on formal recognition criteria nor on the relation of these elements to each other; instead, the notions of ""subject"" and ""theme"" are examined from the point of view of their function in the economy of discourse, with studies of their significance in English and French, as well as in a range of non-Indo-European languages. Definitions of the concepts are offered on the basis of their discourse functions, which are also important in selecting the formal recognition criteria and in understanding their mutually supportive role vis a vis each other."

Full Product Details

Author:   Ruqaiya Hasan (Macquarie University) ,  Peter H. Fries (Central Michigan University)
Publisher:   John Benjamins Publishing Co
Imprint:   John Benjamins Publishing Co
Volume:   118
Weight:   0.935kg
ISBN:  

9789027236210

ISBN 10:   9027236216
Pages:   414
Publication Date:   23 November 1995
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock  
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Table of Contents

1. Reflections on subject and theme: An introduction (by Hasan, Ruqaiya); 2. 1. Approaching the French clause as a movie in dialogue: interpersonal organisation (by Caffarel-Cayron, Alice); 3. 2. Mood and the Ecosocial dynamics of semiotic exchange (by Thibault, Paul J.); 4. 3. The English 'tag question': A new analysis, is(n't) it? (by McGregor, William B.); 5. 4. Nothing makes sense in Weri: A case of extensive ellipsis of nominals in a Papuan language (by Boxwell, Maurice); 6. 5. Subjectlessness and Honorifics in Japanese: A case of Textual contrual (by Hori, Motoko); 7. 6. A dynamic perspective: implications for metafunctional interaction and an understanding of theme (by Ravelli, Louise J.); 8. 7. On theme in Chinese: from clause to discourse (by Yan, Fang); 9. 8. A systematic functional approach to the thematic structure of the old English clause (by Cummings, Michael J.); 10. 9. Themes, methods of development, and texts (by Fries, Peter H.); 11. 10. Defining and relating text segments: subject and theme in discourse (by Cloran, Carmel); 12. Index

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