POTENTIAL
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SUBPOTENTIAL
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INSTANCE
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||
CONTEXT
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as
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culture
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subculture = situation type
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situation
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realised by
|
realised by
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realised by
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realised by
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|
LANGUAGE
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as
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system
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register = text type
|
text
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Context and register have different locations in the theoretical architecture of SFL.
Context is a level of symbolic abstraction above language. Its cline of instantiation extends from culture (potential) to situation (instance).
Register is a functional variety of language, which means:
- register is a point (of variation) on the cline of instantiation of language (not of context);
- register is at a lower level of symbolic abstraction than context.
Registers are varying subpotentials of language (text types) that realise varying subpotentials of context (situation types).
The confusion of context and register is widespread in the discourse of SFL.
