Different Style, Diffrent Register
Written by: Mukhlash Abrar
Different Style, Different Register?
Essay question: Does style influence register or register influence style?
Language is an interesting topic to discuss. Basically, Language is defined as a system of communication by sound, i.e., through the organs of speech and hearing, among human beings of certain group or community, using vocal symbols possessing arbitrary conventional meaning.[1] It means people use language to communicate and socialize among them. Language can be studied internally or externally. Internal discussion of language encompasses the structure of language such as phonological, morphological and syntactic structures. External discussion of language, on the other hand, discusses about the factors outside of language which relate to its users such as sociolinguistics. Sociolinguistics derived from the words ‘socio’ and ‘linguistics’, so sociolinguistics is a linguistics field which deals with language relate to social context and cultural phenomenon. It’s like what Hudson says in his book. He defined sociolinguistics as the study of language in relation to society.[2] Then, Trudgill said that Sociolinguistics is that part of linguistics which is concerned with language as a social and cultural phenomenon.[3] There are many topics in sociolinguistics are interesting to discuss further. One of the interesting topics to discuss is variety of language. Hudson states that variety of language is defined as a set of linguistics items with similar social contribution.[4] Based on the definition, register and style are varieties of language. Register is a variety of language based on the use. Style, on the contrary, is a variety of language based on the formality. Since two varieties are different-based, it leads confusion that both influence each other. In addition, in some references, the term ‘register’ is always hand-in-hand with the term ‘style’. Therefore, this essay will try to solve the confusion
Different Style, Different Register?
Essay question: Does style influence register or register influence style?
Language is an interesting topic to discuss. Basically, Language is defined as a system of communication by sound, i.e., through the organs of speech and hearing, among human beings of certain group or community, using vocal symbols possessing arbitrary conventional meaning.[1] It means people use language to communicate and socialize among them. Language can be studied internally or externally. Internal discussion of language encompasses the structure of language such as phonological, morphological and syntactic structures. External discussion of language, on the other hand, discusses about the factors outside of language which relate to its users such as sociolinguistics. Sociolinguistics derived from the words ‘socio’ and ‘linguistics’, so sociolinguistics is a linguistics field which deals with language relate to social context and cultural phenomenon. It’s like what Hudson says in his book. He defined sociolinguistics as the study of language in relation to society.[2] Then, Trudgill said that Sociolinguistics is that part of linguistics which is concerned with language as a social and cultural phenomenon.[3] There are many topics in sociolinguistics are interesting to discuss further. One of the interesting topics to discuss is variety of language. Hudson states that variety of language is defined as a set of linguistics items with similar social contribution.[4] Based on the definition, register and style are varieties of language. Register is a variety of language based on the use. Style, on the contrary, is a variety of language based on the formality. Since two varieties are different-based, it leads confusion that both influence each other. In addition, in some references, the term ‘register’ is always hand-in-hand with the term ‘style’. Therefore, this essay will try to solve the confusion
References: Baker, Mona. (1992). In other Words. USA and Canada: Routledge. Brown, H. Douglas. (2000). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching – 4th Edition. England: Longman. Holmes, Janet. (2001). An Introduction to Sociolinguistic – 2nd Edition. England: Longman. Hudson, R. A. (1980). Sociolinguistics. New York: Cambridge University Press. Pei Mario A and Gaynor, Frank. (1975). A Dictionary of Linguistics. New York: A Meredian Book. Stockwell, Peter. (2002). Sociolinguistics – A Resource Book for Students. London and New York: Routledge. Spolsky, Bernard. (1998). Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Sumarsono. (2002). Sosiolinguistik. Yogyakarta: SABDA Trudgill, Peter Wardaugh, Ronald. (1992). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics – 2nd Edition. Oxford and Massachusetts: Blackwell. ----------------------- [1] Pei Mario A and Gaynor, Frank, A Dictionary of Linguistics, New York: A Meredian Book, 1975, p [2] Hudson, R. A, Sociolinguistics, Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1980, p. 4. [3] Trudgill, Peter, Sociolinguistics: An Introduction, England: Penguin books, 1974, p. 32. [6] Holmes, Janet, An Introduction to sociolinguistics: 2nd Edition, Longman, 2001, p. 246. [7] Wardaugh, Ronald, An Introduction to Sociolinguistics: 2nd Edition, Blackwell, 1992, p. 49. [9] Brown, H. Douglas, Principle of Language Learning and Teaching : 4th Edition, Longman, 2000, p. 261. [11] Stockwell, Peter, Sociolinguistics: A resource book for students, London and New York: Routledge, 2002, p. 7. [21] Baker, Mona, In Other Words, London and New York: Routledge, 1992, p. 15. [32] Spolsky, Bernard, Sociolinguistics, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998, p. 32.