Towards a pragmatic approach to the study of languages in contact

Pragmatics ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan A. Argente ◽  
Lluís Payrató
Keyword(s):  
Language Contact ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Languages In Contact ◽  
The Social ◽  
Interactive Strategies ◽  
And Function ◽  
Adaptation Processes ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
New Distribution

The study of language contact has been traditionally carried out from a structural perspective (synchronic or diachronic), from a sociolinguistic perspective and/or from a rather psychological perspective, centered on the linguistic and communicative competence of the multilingual individual. However, a great number of linguistic and sociolinguistic topics that appear in language contact situations may be productively tackled from a pragmatic viewpoint. This pragmatic perspective takes into account linguistic use in communication contexts and raises, at a different level, questions that deal with the structures and the evolution of the codes in contact. The main aim of this presentation is the analysis of some of the specific problems that arise in given language contact situations from a pragmatic perspective, considering the adaptation processes of the speakers, their particular interactive strategies and the social meaning generated. Understanding pragmatics in its original sense, i.e. as the study of the relationship between linguistic signs and speakers (users of certain resources), these phenomena should be understood as the result of speakers’ adaptation to changing sociocultural circumstances. This adaptation creates a new distribution of the verbal resources (or linguistic economy) of the community and, consequently, modifies its varieties as far as form and function are concerned.

Writing systems and language contact in the Euro- and Sinocentric worlds

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Coulmas
Keyword(s):  
Language Contact ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Writing System ◽  
Writing Systems ◽  
System A ◽  
Historical Processes ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Status ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractOn the social level languages contact usually implies hierarchies, reflecting historical processes of adaptation and power relations between groups of speakers. This paper considers language contact in the written mode from the point of view of choice, that is, choice of language and choice of writing system. A wider range of factors that have a bearing on choice in contact situations of languages and their writing systems must be taken into consideration: political, social, linguistic and ideological. Examples of each kind from the Eurocentric and Sinocentric worlds are discussed and compared with each other. Particular attention is paid to the relationship bilingual writers create between the units of two languages and two writing systems which, from a sociolinguistic point of view, is seen as indicative of the status and function of the languages involved.

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) of DNA and RNA

1989 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 34-35
Author(s):  
Patricia G. Arscott ◽  
Gil Lee ◽  
Victor A. Bloomfield ◽  
D. Fennell Evans
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Structures ◽  
Inorganic Materials ◽  
Resolving Power ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Tunneling Microscopy ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Dna And Rna ◽  
Calf Thymus ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

STM is one of the most promising techniques available for visualizing the fine details of biomolecular structure. It has been used to map the surface topography of inorganic materials in atomic dimensions, and thus has the resolving power not only to determine the conformation of small molecules but to distinguish site-specific features within a molecule. That level of detail is of critical importance in understanding the relationship between form and function in biological systems. The size, shape, and accessibility of molecular structures can be determined much more accurately by STM than by electron microscopy since no staining, shadowing or labeling with heavy metals is required, and there is no exposure to damaging radiation by electrons. Crystallography and most other physical techniques do not give information about individual molecules.We have obtained striking images of DNA and RNA, using calf thymus DNA and two synthetic polynucleotides, poly(dG-me5dC)·poly(dG-me5dC) and poly(rA)·poly(rU).

scholarly journals The Architecture of Airport Terminals: Gateway To A City

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-18
Author(s):  
Dakshayini R Patil ◽  
Mamatha P Raj
Keyword(s):  
Airport Management ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
The Social ◽  
World Class ◽  
Operational Activities ◽  
Airport Terminals ◽  
And Function ◽  
The City ◽  
Two Sides ◽  
Indian Cities

This paper looks at Airport Terminals as icons in a city and the design aspects for the Terminal building which is the interface between ground & air transport. The architecture of Terminal building involves diverse perspectives of analysis and understanding. As glamorous gateways to a city, Airports are representative and first impressions of the city. Hence, form and function of Terminal buildings are both equally prime aspects of planning & design. Cities vie for world class airports- domestic or international, as they are a city’s pride like any other monument or landmark, catering to visitors across cities and nations. Airports are generally planned for a longer life term functioning at least for half a century with intent of good possibility of future expansion. A Terminal has two sides to it; land-side and air-side. While passenger comfort and safety are of utmost importance, on air-side the operational activities of the aircrafts require critical planning and management. They are large establishments involving architecture and technical design detailing at various scales. Apart from the primary objectives of passenger needs, airline operational needs, airport management- safety & security, there is a community objective as well; which involves a facility for citizens; airport building itself being an aesthetic and integral part of the city. Indian cities are witnessing unprecedented growth in air travel and expectations of a good experience at the Airport is deemed prerogative. ‘Green Airports’ are the current theme in India going the social & environmental way of design & conceptualization.

The Rise of Sovereign Wealth Funds

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon L. Clark ◽  
Adam D. Dixon ◽  
Ashby H. B. Monk
Keyword(s):  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Financial System ◽  
Institutional Innovation ◽  
Sovereign Wealth Funds ◽  
Volatility Risk ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Nation States ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Function ◽  
Global Financial System

This chapter provides an introduction to the formation and development of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) around the world. Its argument is largely about form and function, emphasizing the functions that SWFs provide for nation-states in the context of the global financial system. The purpose here is to classify and explain the rise of SWFs, making links to the relevant literature in the social sciences on institutional innovation and change. It also emphasizes the importance of SWFs as an institutional innovation consistent with and drawing legitimacy from fundamental changes in the global financial system that have prompted governments to seek ways of managing their “place” in a system subject to considerable volatility, risk, and uncertainty.

The Revitalisation of Historical Buildings as a Factor Shaping the Development of Sustainable Cities

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krzysztof Rzasa ◽  
Marek Ogryzek
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
North East ◽  
The Social ◽  
Military Facilities ◽  
Polish Law ◽  
And Function ◽  
Post Industrial ◽  
The City

Many Polish cities have objects in them that have ceased to function in accordance with their intended use, for one reason or another. These are often post-industrial objects and former military facilities. As a result of the social, political and economic transformations that have taken place in Poland over the years after the Second World War, these objects have lost the meaning of their existence and functioning. Quite often such objects also have a historical character, which may, under Polish law, serve to hinder the possibility of them being reused. A well prepared revitalisation is often the only way for such objects to regain their earlier functionality, or gain a new one. Selected examples of the revitalisation of historic buildings located in Olsztyn (the capital of Warmia and Mazury, the Voivodeship in North-East Poland) were analysed by the authors in this article, and the effects of such actions, connected to the development of the city, were presented. The study included examples of the revitalisation of post-industrial objects and former military facilities. The analysis was performed in the years 2010–2016. The history and previous functional status of the tested objects were presented, as well as their present form and function. The authors have performed a comprehensive analysis of the compliance of new functions of objects with the idea of the sustainable development of the city. The results show the extent to which the analysed activities comply with the principles of sustainable development, in social, economic and environmental terms.

Relationship of Skeletal Muscle Atrophy to Functional Status: A Systematic Research Review

2000 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Michael
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Atrophy ◽  
Elderly Women ◽  
Functional Limitation ◽  
Skeletal Muscle Atrophy ◽  
Research Review ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

In the realm of muscle atrophy research, many studies address minute details of molecular function but few examine the effects of atrophy in terms of mobility, strength, endurance, and performance of activities of daily living. The relationship between impairment and functional limitation is the focus of this research review. A wide array of studies constitute this area of inquiry, including investigations as diverse and widely disparate as molecular chemistry and space travel and populations as different as rats, healthy young men, and elderly women. Thirty-four studies were selected based on their fit with the Enabling-Disabling Model. Three paradigms of atrophy and function emerged. Adaptation reflects the plastic nature of muscle when placed under certain conditions, ranging from disuse to high-resistance exercise. Injury/loss describes damage to muscle tissue from ischemia, medications, or reloading or reperfusion trauma. Also in this category is the loss of muscle that is seen with aging. Integrity relates to the muscle’s tendency to protect itself and maintain structural adjacencies and cellular proportions. Based on the 3 muscle research paradigms, the relationship of muscle atrophy to function is portrayed as a bidirectional interaction wherein form and function have an influence on each other by way of physical changes, including those of adaptation, injury/loss, or integrity. A conceptual model is constructed to reflect this relationship.

Verb inflection in Ancient Greek and Sanskrit and auxiliation patterns in French and Italian

2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nunzio La Fauci ◽  
Liana Tronci
Keyword(s):  
Complex Interaction ◽  
Ancient Greek ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
European Languages ◽  
Verb Inflection ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Verb Inflections ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

This paper deals with the complex interaction between form and function in the verb morphosyntax of four Indo-European languages (French, Italian, Ancient Greek and Sanskrit). Beyond the difference in form, auxiliation patterns in French and Italian, and verb inflections in Ancient Greek and Sanskrit correlate, thanks to the agreement for number and person, to the expression of the relationship with the Subject. The different auxiliation patterns (sum and habeo) and the different inflections (middle and active) correlate to different properties of the Subject. In particular, these forms depend on the syntactic opposition between middle and non-middle. The ways of this dependency are regulated and systematic, although they appear fuzzy and chaotic, not only if the four languages are compared to each other, but also if different morphosyntactic combinations, inside the same language, are concerned.

English as a Lingua Franca: form follows function

English Today ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 58-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessia Cogo
Keyword(s):  
Research Field ◽  
World Englishes ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
The World ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

ABSTRACTIn this paper I wish to respond to the article published in ET94 by Saraceni while at the same time providing some clarifications concerning the concept of English as a Lingua Franca (henceforth ELF). In his article Saraceni raises three main questions (and a number of related debatable comments which I will quickly deal with in my final remarks) regarding: 1) the nature of ELF and its speakers, 2) the relationship between ELF and the World Englishes (henceforth WE) paradigm, and 3) the distinction between form and function. I will address each of these questions, and in so doing consider a number of notions concerning the ELF research field.

scholarly journals Examining Form and Function of Dendritic Spines

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin F. H. Lee ◽  
Cary Soares ◽  
Jean-Claude Béïque
Keyword(s):  
Dendritic Spines ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Laser Scanning Microscopy ◽  
Spine Morphology ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Spine Structure ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

The majority of fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system takes place at protrusions along dendrites called spines. Dendritic spines are highly heterogeneous, both morphologically and functionally. Not surprisingly, there has been much speculation and debate on the relationship between spine structure and function. The advent of multi-photon laser-scanning microscopy has greatly improved our ability to investigate the dynamic interplay between spine form and function. Regulated structural changes occur at spines undergoing plasticity, offering a mechanism to account for the well-described correlation between spine size and synapse strength. In turn, spine structure can influence the degree of biochemical and perhaps electrical compartmentalization at individual synapses. Here, we review the relationship between dendritic spine morphology, features of spine compartmentalization and synaptic plasticity. We highlight emerging molecular mechanisms that link structural and functional changes in spines during plasticity, and also consider circumstances that underscore some divergence from a tight structure-function coupling. Because of the intricate influence of spine structure on biochemical and electrical signalling, activity-dependent changes in spine morphology alone may thus contribute to the metaplastic potential of synapses. This possibility asserts a role for structural dynamics in neuronal information storage and aligns well with current computational models.

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