attempt to do this. They may say, for example, that people write both all
right and alright, but that there are still strong feelings against the spelling
alright, and that therefore it is better to write all right as two words.usage^2 n
a distinction made by Widdowson between the function of a linguistic item
as an element in a linguistic system (usage) and its function as part of a
system of communication (use). For example the progressive aspect
may be studied as an item of grammar or usage (i.e. to consider how it
compares with other aspects and tenses in English and the constructions
in which it occurs) and in terms of its use (i.e. how it is used in dis-
coursefor performing such communicative acts as descriptions, plans,
commentaries, etc.).
The meaning a linguistic item has as an example of usage is called its
signification, and the meaning it has as an example of use is called its value.
see also speech act, uptake
usage-based learning n
the idea that language knowledge, language use, and language learning are
inseparable.
use n
see usage^1
utterance n
a unit of analysis in speech which has been defined in various ways but most
commonly as a sequence of words within a single person’s turn at talk that
falls under a single intonation contour. Utterances may sometimes consist
of more than one sentence, but more commonly consist of stretches of
speech shorter than sentences.
In postmodernism, following Bakhtin, utterances are not seen as indi-
vidual creations, but are viewed as dialogic: each utterance is a response
to a prior utterance and is inhabited by the voices of others.
see also move, sequencing^1
utterance meaning n
the meaning a speaker conveys by using a particular utterance in a particular
context situation. For example:
My watch has stopped again.
could convey, according to the context situation:
a I can’t tell you the time.
b This is the reason for my being late.
usage