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For nearly half a century, Professor M. A. K. Halliday has been enriching the discipline of linguistics with his keen insights into the social semiotic phenomenon we call language. This ten-volume series presents the seminal works of Professor Halliday. This third volume includes papers that explore different aspects of language from a systemic functional perspective. The papers are organized into three sections: the place of linguistics as a discipline; linguistics and language; and language as social semiotic. In addition, there is a new work from Professor Halliday, entitled 'On the "architecture" of human language', in which he focuses on the assumptions or working hypotheses that enabled him to explore important questions about this massive semiotic power called 'language'.
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On Language and Linguistics Collected Works of M. A. K. Halliday Volume 1: On Grammar Volume 2: Linguistic Studies of Text and Discourse Volume 3: Volume 4: On Language and Linguistics The Language of Early Childhood Volume 5: Volume 6: The Language of Science Computational and Quantitative Studies Volume 7: Studies in English Language Volume 8: Studies in Chinese Language Volume 9: Volume 10: Language and Education Language and Society Volume 3 in the Collected Works of M. A. K. Halliday On Language and Linguistics M. A. K. Halliday Edited by Jonathan Webster A\ continu LONDON • NEW YORK Continuum The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London, SE1 7NX 15 East 26 Street, New York, NY 10010 First published 2003 Reprinted 2004 This collection © M. A. K. Halliday 2003 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 0-8264-5869-6 (hardback) Typeset by BookEns Ltd, Royston, Herts. Printed and bound in Great Britain by MPG Books Ltd, Bodrnin, Cornwall CONTENTS Preface vii Acknowledgements ix Introduction: On the "architecture" of human language Professor M. A. K. Halliday 1 PART ONE: THE PLACE OF LINGUISTICS AS A DISCIPLINE Editor's introduction 33 1 Syntax and the consumer (1964) 36 2 Grammar, society and the noun (1966) 50 3 The context of linguistics (1975) 74 4 Ideas about language (1977) 92 5 Language and the order of nature (1987) 116 6 New ways of meaning: the challenge to applied linguistics (1990) 139 PART Two: LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE Editor's introduction 7 A brief sketch of systemic grammar (1969) 177 180 CONTENTS 8 Systemic background (1985) 185 9 Systemic grammar and the concept of a "science of language" (1992) 199 10 Language in a changing world (1993) 213 11 A recent view of "missteps" in linguistic theory (1995) 232 12 Linguistics as metaphor (1997) 248 13 Is the grammar neutral? Is the grammarian neutral? (2001) 271 PART THREE: LANGUAGE AS SOCIAL SEMIOTIC Editor's introduction 295 14 The functional basis of language (1973) 298 15 Towards a sociological semantics (1972) 323 16 The history of a sentence (1992) 355 17 The act of meaning (1992) 375 18 On language in relation to the evolution of human consciousness