A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics David Crystal

appropriate 31
applied linguistics A branch of linguistics where the primary concern is the
application of linguistic theories, methods and findings to the elucidation of
language problems which have arisen in other areas of experience. The most
well-developed branch of applied linguistics is the teaching and learning of
foreign languages, and sometimes the term is used as if this were the only field
involved. But several other fields of application have emerged, including the
linguistic analysis of language disorders (clinical linguistics), the use of
language in mother-tongue education (educational linguistics), and developments
in lexicography, translation and stylistics. There is an uncertain boundary
between applied linguistics and the various interdisciplinary branches of
linguistics, such as sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics, especially as
several of the latter’s concerns involve practical outcomes of a plainly ‘applied’
kind (e.g. planning a national language policy). On the other hand, as these
branches develop their own theoretical foundations, the distinction between
‘pure’ and ‘applied’ is becoming more apparent, and the characterization of
research as being in ‘applied psycholinguistics’, etc., is now more regularly
encountered. See also pragmatics.
applied stylistics
see stylistics
apposition (n.) A traditional term retained in some models of grammatical
description for a sequence of units which are constituents at the same grammatical
level, and which have an identity or similarity of reference. In John
Smith, the butcher, came in, for example, there are two noun phrases; they
have identity of reference; and they have the same syntactic function (as
indicated by the omissibility of either, without this affecting the sentence’s
acceptability, e.g. John Smith came in/The butcher came in). They are therefore
said to be in apposition or in an appositive or appositional relationship.
There are, however, many theoretical and methodological problems in defining
the notion of apposition, because of the existence of several constructions which
satisfy only some of these criteria, and where other semantic or syntactic issues
are involved, as in titles and other designations (the number six, my friend John,
etc.). Sometimes the term appositive relative is used as an alternative to nonrestrictive
relative.
appositive, appositional (adj.)
see apposition
appropriate (adj.) An application of the general sense of this term in linguistics,
and especially in sociolinguistics, pragmatics and stylistics, to
refer to a linguistic variety or form which is considered suitable or possible
in a given social situation. For example, elliptical and contracted forms (e.g.
I’ll, isn’t, going to lunch?, etc.) are appropriate for relatively informal conversational
situations; forms such as thou, vouchsafe, etc., are appropriate for some
kinds of religious situations. The point of the term is to provide an alternative
to the absolute implications of correctness encountered in prescriptive
approaches to language, where linguistic forms are held to be either right or
wrong, no reference being made to the different expectations of different situations.
In pragmatics, appropriateness conditions for sentences are generally
referred to as felicity conditions.