Textuality
In text linguistics, textuality is the property of being a text . Different criteria of textuality distinguish texts from so-called "non-texts". A uniform definition of “text” generally recognized in linguistics does not yet exist.
Even in everyday language use, only those linguistic utterances that meet certain criteria are referred to as text. This type of determination of textuality is roughly based on the following definition: A text is a completed, written or potentially writable linguistic utterance, which consists of several (complete or incomplete) sentences that are related to one another in terms of content and form.
Textuality from a language systematic and communication-oriented point of view
The aim of the linguistic systematic consideration of texts is to develop a text grammar that understands a text as a complex linguistic sign and examines its linguistic structure across all sentences.
Communication- oriented approaches also take greater account of influences that arise from the communication situation in which a text is created or used (so-called text-external factors). As a result, they are often more useful than linguistic systematic considerations to explain properties of the text that cannot be traced back to properties of individual parts of the text. On the basis of speech act theory , it is assumed here that a text represents a linguistic act that is supposed to fulfill a specific purpose.
Klaus Brinker explains that in the history of linguistics, the concept of text has moved from a linguistic system-oriented text linguistics, which refers to structuralistic linguistics and generative transformation grammar , to communication- oriented text linguistics against the background of pragmatic approaches.
Textuality criteria according to de Beaugrande and Dressler
The textuality criteria established in 1981 by Robert-Alain de Beaugrande and Wolfgang U. Dressler form the basis of many text definitions and discussions about the concept of text . You define a text as “communicative competition (...) that fulfills seven criteria of textuality. If any of these criteria are found not to be met, the text is considered non-communicative. Therefore, non-communicative texts are treated as non-texts. "( De Beaugrande / Dressler, 1981, p. 3. )
According to de Beaugrande / Dressler, the seven constitutive principles of texts are:
- Text cohesion
- Text coherence
- Intentionality
- Acceptability
- Informativity
- Situationality and
- Intertextuality .
Heinz Vater criticizes the definition made by de Beaugrande / Dressler by pointing out, for example, that it implies that one can make a sharp distinction between texts and non-texts on the basis of the seven text-constitutive features, which he considers extremely problematic. In some texts, for example, the lack of cohesion is easily possible, and the other criteria - with the exception of coherence - are often dispensable.
De Beaugrande / Dressler also formulate three "regulative principles" of texts:
- Efficiency
- A text is all the more efficient, the less effort it takes to produce and process it by the addressee. H. the more "user-friendly" it is.
- effectiveness
- A text is effective if it leaves the desired impression on the addressee or if it creates favorable conditions for achieving the goal that the text producer (and possibly also the addressee) is striving for.
- appropriateness
- A text is appropriate if it meets the criteria of textuality and the relationship between processing depth and processing ease is balanced. Appropriateness describes the interaction of effectiveness, efficiency and adaptation to the given communication situation.
literature
- Robert-Alain de Beaugrande , Wolfgang U. Dressler : Introduction to text linguistics . Niemeyer, Tübingen 1981, ISBN 3-484-22028-7 ( Concepts of Linguistics and Literature Studies 28).
- Klaus Brinker: Linguistic Text Analysis. An introduction to basic concepts and methods. 6th, revised and expanded edition. Erich Schmitt Verlag, Berlin 2005, ISBN 3-503-07948-3 ( Basics of German Studies 29).
- Hadumod Bußmann (Ed.) With the collaboration of Hartmut Lauffer: Lexikon der Sprachwissenschaft. 4th, revised and bibliographically supplemented edition. Kröner, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-520-45204-7 .
- Peter Ernst: German Linguistics. Corrected reprint. WUV, Vienna 2008, ISBN 3-8252-2541-0 , pp. 265-269 ( UTB 2541 Basics ).
- Siegfried Jäger , Margarete Jäger : Critical Discourse Analysis. An introduction. 4th, unchanged edition. Unrast-Verlag, Münster 2004, ISBN 3-89771-732-8 ( Edition DISS 3).
- Stephan chamber, Roger Lüdeke (ed.): Texts on the theory of the text. Reclam, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-15-017652-2 ( Reclam's Universal Library 17652).
- Maximilian Scherner: "TEXT." Studies on the history of concepts. In: Archive for the history of concepts. 39, 1996, ISSN 0003-8946 , pp. 103-160.
- Heinz Vater: Introduction to text linguistics. Structure and understanding of texts. 3rd, revised edition. Wilhelm Fink Verlag, Munich 2001, ISBN 3-8252-1660-8 ( UTB for science - university paperbacks - linguistics, literary studies 1660).
