Methodology

Abstract

A prerequisite for the discovery of functions is the determination of formal means of coding within the language. The discovery of functions and motivations for the emergence of functions is based on the claim that each function is a member of some functional domain. A determining characteristic of a function is its contrast with other functions within the domain. The chapter postulates that a distinction should be made between structural functions that allow the listener to identify the types of constituents in the clause and functions encoding meaning. The chapter illustrates the discovery of the functions of the following: the ‘progressive’ and the ‘perfect’ forms in English; ‘reflexives’ in some Indo-European languages; point of view of the subject; and goal orientation in several languages; pronouns in several languages.