Seven general functions of language

Seven general functions of language --Finch（P14-P17）1) Physiological function （生理功能—发泄,释放情绪）Language can help get rid of nervous of physical energy. （emotive/expressive function of language）There are many emotive utterances in our daily life, which serve no communicative purpose, but they allow us to release inner feelings.A great deal of what we say when angry is said simply to relieve our physical and nervous energy caused by emotional distress.2) Phatic function（寒暄功能，社交功能--communication）According to him, language can serve the function of creating or maintaining social relationship between speakers.3) Recording function （记录功能-不受时空的限制--displacement）Language allows us to record things we wish to remember.4) Identifying function （识别功能，语言的任意性--arbitrariness）Language also allows us to identify, with considerable precision, an enormous array of objects and events.5) Reasoning function （论证，推理功能）This function refers to the fact that much of our thinking is done with words or, to be more precise, in words.6) Communicating function （交际功能 –-referential/prepositional function）We use language for requesting, informing, ordering, promising, and reprimanding, to mention just a few.7) Pleasure function （愉悦功能—美学功能）A large part of the pleasure we derive from language comes from the successful exploitation of linguistic novelty at different levels of the language. Advertisers exploit this capacity just much as poets and novelists.