Interpersonal Meaning Language Metafunctions

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2.11.4 Interpersonal Meaning

As it has previously been mentioned that there are two significant roles plyed by the lexico-grammar, namely ‘to allow us to mean anything we like, and to allow us to make more than one meaning at a time’ Eggins 1994:146. I have described at some length some evidence that such meaning makings are at all possible. To end the discussion of SFL—at a glance though, I would like to deal with interpersonal meaning in particular as one of the three dimensions of meanings which is most relevant to the study. Halliday and Matthiessen 2004 have discussed interpersonal meaning exhaustively under Clause as Exchange See Chapter IV of their Introduction to Functional Grammar 3 rd Edition. Normally, interpersonal meanings occur in the form of exchanges between two individuals when they use language to communicate with each other. It is further argued that Simultaneously with its organization as a message, the clause is also organized as an interactive event involving speaker, or writer, and audience. Let us use the term ‘speaker’ as a cover term for both speaker and writer. In the act of speaking, the speaker adopts for himself a particular speech role, and in so doing assigns to the listener, a complementary role which he wishes him to adopt in his turn Halliday and Matthiessen 2004:106. The above quotation highlights the nature of dialogue in which two individuals take turn in speaking. It can be one taking the role as information seeker and the other supplying the required information. There are two types of exchanges, namely ‘goods-- services’ and ‘information’. 101 In an exchange of goods--services, ‘the exchange commodity is strictly non- verbal: what is being demanded is an object or an action, and language is brought to help the process along’ Halliday and Matthiessen 2004:107. On the other hand, Halliday and Matthiessen argue that But if you say something to me with the aim of getting one to tell you something, as in ‘is it Tuesday?’ or ‘when did you last see your father?’, what is being demanded is information: language is the end as well as the means, the only answer expected is a verbal one. This is an exchange of information Halliday and Matthiessen 2004:107. Thus, it is clear that in an exchange, what is demanded can be verbal and non verbal, depending on the type of exchange, whether it is an exchange of goods--services or that of information. Interpersonal meanings lie in the type of mood elements in the clause. The mood structure consists of 1 the Subject, which is a nominal group, and 2 the Finite operator, which is part of the verbal group Halliday and Matthiessen 2004:111. For examples. 1 Bapak Gubernur lenggah sak cedhaking sasana sabda kala wingi. The Governor sat near the platform yesterday. 2 Punapa sesupenipun sampun kaaturaken juru rias manten? Has the ring already been given to wedding beautician? ‘Has the ring already been given to the wedding beautician?’ 102 The two clauses above can be labeled in terms of mood structure, as follows. Bapak Guberbur Lenggah sak cedhdking sasana sabda kala wingi The Governor Sat near the platform yesterday Subject Finite RESIDUE MOOD Figure 2-23 Mood Structure 1 Punapa Sesupenipun sampun kaaturaken juru rias manten? Has the ring Finite been given to the wedding beautician? Finite Subject - Predicator Goal MOOD RESIDUE Figure 2-24 Mood Structure 2 Mood structure contributes significantly to the interpersonal meanings. The finite element, as one of the elements of mood is argued that [It] has the functions of making the proposition finite…it circumscribes; it bring the proposition down to earth so that it is something that can be argued about. A good way to make something arguable is to give it a point of reference in the here and now; and this is what the Finite does. It relates the proposition to its context in the speech event Halliday and Matthiessen 2004:115. Thus, in Mood structure, the Finite element should be paid attention to with respect to its possible interpersonal meanings. Different structures of the Finite element will give different meanings, such as polarity negation, aspects perfective, continuous, future, modality and modulation. Further details, see Eggins 1994:146-197. 103 Similarly, the Subject as the other mood element, ‘supplies the rest of what it takes to form a proposition: namely something by reference to which the proposition can be affirmed or denied’ Halliday and Mattheissen 2004:117. Figure 2-25 below exemplifies variation of Subject in declarative clauses. the duke my aunt that teapot has has has given my aunt that teapot been given that teapot by the duke been given [to] my aunt by the duke hasn’t hasn’t hasn’t he she it a b c Subject Finite Residue Finite Subject Mood Mood tag Adopted from Halliday and Mattheissen 2004:118. Figure 2-25 Variation of Subject in declarative clauses However, Javanese has its own rules to form nominal group and verbal phrases. I discuss them in details in the next chapter, the Javanese Standard Grammar. Now I take a further step of discussion, the Appraisal Theory: its origin and development as an evaluative use of language.

2.12 The APRAISAL Theory : its Origin and Development