MACUVIN: Features of ‘the Meant’ under the constraint of genre

Zhenhua Wang

Abstract

Systemic Functional Linguistics addresses three modes of meaning: ideational, interpersonal, and textual. However, when the concepts of ‘meaning’, ‘to mean’, and ‘sense’ converge, how do these three modes of meaning align? In communication, speakers or writers aim to convey their intended meanings, and in this paper, it is called ‘the meant’, while listeners or readers interpret the meanings intended by the speaker or writer. In this process, language users play a crucial role, and ‘the meant’ represents a combination of linguistic meaning and social meaning. However, the concept of ‘the meant’ and its characteristics have not been extensively elaborated in traditional linguistics. This paper aims to explore how the genre in the Sydney School facilitates the communication of appropriate meanings, examines the methods through which these meanings are conveyed, and discusses the features of ‘the meant’. Finally, the implications of this research are discussed in the conclusion. This paper consists of five parts. In addition to the introduction and the conclusion, it examines two social doings in which two conceptual metaphors are created. Then the paper moves to ‘the meant’ of the language users in their social doings. Additionally, the features of ‘the meant’ are explored from the perspective of genre.