Layering in structural-functional grammars

Abstract

This article presents an overview of the notion of layering in three types of structural-functional grammars. Layering is interpreted in a broad sense to refer to two types of linguistic differentiations: (1) on the one hand, a distinction between levels of coding, namely, syntax/grammar, semantics, pragmatics; (2) on the other hand, a differentiation between speaker-related vs. content-related material in language, i.e., a distinction between interpersonal vs. representational or ideational aspects of linguistic structuring. We focus on the way in which layering is theorized in three types of linguistic models where layering plays a crucial role in the design of the theory, namely, Systemic-Functional Grammar (SFG), Functional Discourse Grammar (FDG) and Role and Reference Grammar (RRG). Special attention is paid to recent developments of these theories which have proposed important changes to the conception of layering.

The discussion is organized in terms of four issues: (1) what layers are distinguished (how many?) in the “standard” version of the theory, and how is the relationship between the layers conceived of? (2) What is the motivation and descriptive evidence for the layered model? (3) What is the relationship between the view of a layered linguistic structure and the way in which different levels of encoding are conceived (syntax/semantics/pragmatics)? (4) In what way is the conception of layering related to the way in which the linguistic model views language typology? That is, in a typological perspective, what aspects of layering are regarded as universal, and what aspects differ between languages or typological groups of languages?