The Grammar And Semantics Of Punctuation-A Functional Approach

As a linguistic system on the graphological level, the punctuation system performs similar functions for written language as intonation and prosody perform for spoken language. A fuller understanding of written language is quite impossible without taking punctuation into account. However, punctuation has been ignored by linguistic researchers over the years. Linguistic treatments of punctuation have been produced by, among others, Meyer (1987) and most importantly, by Nunberg (1990).Adopting a Hallidayan approach, the present research differs from all the previous ones in two ways: Firstly, it is systemic: it focuses on the whole punctuation system rather than individual marks. Secondly, it is functional: it investigates the grammatical and semantic functions of the punctuation system.The present exploration of the punctuation system takes place on the three levels of written language: graphology, grammar and semantics. First, the thesis discusses the graphological realization and interaction of punctuation. Next, it investigates the grammatical function of punctuation. Finally, it examines the semantic function of punctuation. The major findings of the thesis are:Punctuation is hierarchical. It is a system in which individual marks are organized hierarchically.Punctuation is functional. The punctuation system serves two broad purposes: grammatical marking and semantic specification. On the one hand, punctuation is grammar-related: all punctuation must mark grammatical boundaries. On the other hand, punctuation is meaning-related: most punctuation marks play a dual role. They realize meanings as well as showing the boundaries of grammatical units. The meanings realized by punctuation may be ideational, interpersonal, or textual.Punctuation is rule-governed. The punctuation system is governed by semantic, grammatical and graphological rules. The relation between those rules is one of realization: Semantic rules are realized by grammatical rules. Grammatical rules, in turn, are realized by graphological rules.