What is a position?

Definition
	A position is an abstract place of one turn relative to another turn to which it is functionally related.
	The place does not vary with the number or size of any insertion sequences that come between these functionally related turns.

Examples (English)
	In both of the following two exchanges, B’s response Okay is in second position relative to A’s request. Its position does not vary in this relationship, even though it is in second turn location in the first exchange and in fourth turn location in the second exchange: A: Please close the window. B: Okay. A: Please close the window. B: All the way? A: Yeah. B: Okay.

Source
	Levinson 1983 348

Context for this page:

Concept module: position
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): P
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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