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<font size=3>There's also all the fundamental functions that allow us to
coordinate our talk with one another in real time. I.e., projection
of turn trajectories and points of possible completion....<br><br>
-Ceci<br><br>
At 02:15 PM 12/9/02 -0500, you wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>This discussion of communication
and diachronic detrius is interesting.<br><br>
As I've been reading the posts I've been thinking about how<br>
communication using the forms of language may convey quite a lot
more<br>
than simply logical form or propositional content. For instance,<br>
language functions as a marker of group identity.<br><br>
You know how some forms of music are filled with flourishes - grace<br>
notes and the like - while other forms make striking use of silence
(the<br>
positions and durations of the rests)? The style of the music
(like<br>
group identity) is conveyed by conforming to the conventions of
that<br>
style, and in a sense the silence is just as "communicative" as
the<br>
grace notes.<br><br>
Keith Johnson</blockquote>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<br><br>
<br>
Cecilia E. Ford<br>
Professor<br>
Department of English<br>
600 N. Park St.<br>
University of Wisconsin-Madison<br>
Madison WI 53706 USA<br><br>
ceford@facstaff.wisc.edu</font></html>