Functional analysis Since the earliest work of the Prague School, language was conceived as a functional system, where term system references back to De Saussure structuralist approach. The term function seems to have been introduced by Vilém Mathesius, possibly influenced from works in sociology.Hladký, Josef (ed.) 2003. Language and Function: To the memory of Jan Firbas, pp.60–61 Functional analysis is the examination of how linguistic elements function on different layers of linguistic structure, and how the levels interact with each other. Functions exist on all levels of grammar, even in phonology, where the phoneme has the function of distinguishing between lexical material. Syntactic functions: (e.g. Subject and Object), defining different perspectives in the presentation of a linguistic expression. Semantic functions: (Agent, Patient, Recipient, etc.), describing the role of participants in states of affairs or actions expressed. Pragmatic functions: (Theme and Rheme, Topic and Focus, Predicate), defining the informational status of constituents, determined by the pragmatic context of the verbal interaction.
Functional analysis Since the earliest work of the :Prague School, language was conceived as a functional system, where term system references back to De Saussure structuralist approach. The term function seems to have been introduced by Vilém Mathesius, possibly influenced from works in sociology.Hladký, Josef (ed.) 2003. La,nguage and Function: To the memory of Jan Firbas, pp.60–61 Functional analysis is the examination of how linguistic elements function on differe?nt layers of linguistic structure, and how the levels interact with each other. Functions exist on all levels of grammar, even in phonology, where the phoneme has the function ?of distinguishing between lexical material. Syntactic functions: (e.g. Subject and Object), defining different perspectives in the presentation of a linguistic expression. Semantic functions: (Agent, Patient, Recipient, etc.), describing the role of participants in states of affairs or actions expressed. Pragmatic functions: (Theme and Rheme, Topic and Focus, Predicate), defining the inform:ational status of constituents, determined by the pragmatic context of the verbal interaction.