Re: Quack! on clines

Robert Veel (rveel who-is-at extro.ucc.su.oz.au)
Tue, 23 Apr 1996 11:01:11 +1000

Can I ask for
>a definition of "cline" as well? I have just guessed at the
>meaning and would like a check on the definition I've
>inferred - which is: the type of relationship that pertains
>between processes at different levels of a system (i.e., not
>causal/correlational etc. but....) AND/OR: the tendency or
>bias of a system towards some direction of change due to
>patterns of events happening subsystemically.
>I know the above is at least close. Thanks.
>- Judy
>
>
>Dear Judy,
What you describe as "the type of relationship that pertains between
processes at different levels of a system" would, in SF linguistics, be
covered by the notion of 'realisation', a symbiotic non-aetiological
relationship between strata in the linguistic system (e.g. context->text,
lexico-grammar-> phonology/graphology).

I'm not sure if this is a definition or just a muddying of the waters, but
within SF linguistics a distinction is often made - as it is in many other
fields- between typolology and topology, complimentary ways of looking at
sets of relationships between phenomena. Linguistically, typology is
inspired by Saussurean models of meaning-making oppositions within the
linguistic system (eg discriptions of discrete written genres practised in
school education. The term cline gets used to describe topological
tendencies (eg how one genre is like another, but different) and
relationships of agnation between phenomena. Topology is of course useful
for mapping changes in meaning across texts and onto/phylo/logogenesis of
meanings. Typology is good for geting a sense of beginning and end points
and depth soundings in between.

Cheers -Robert

Robert Veel
PO Box 804
Glebe NSW 2037
Australia

Ph/Fax: +61-2-692-9618
E-mail: rveel who-is-at extro.ucc.su.oz.au