Wiktionary
n. 1 (context computing programming English) A function which calls all the other functions of a certain program; the only function that can be called independently. 2 (context computing programming English) A construct that performs a mapping between entities at compile time. 3 (context linguistics English) A group of grammatical systems that make meanings of a related kind.
Wikipedia
The term metafunction originates in systemic functional linguistics and is considered to be a property of all languages. Systemic functional linguistics is functional and semantic rather than formal and syntactic in its orientation. As a functional linguistic theory, it claims that both the emergence of grammar and the particular forms that grammars take should be explained “in terms of the functions that language evolved to serve”. While languages vary in how and what they do, and what humans do with them in the contexts of human cultural practice, all languages are considered to be shaped and organised in relation to three functions, or metafunctions. Michael Halliday, the founder of systemic functional linguistics, calls these three functions the ideational, interpersonal, and textual. The ideational function is further divided into the experiential and logical.
Metafunctions are systemic clusters; that is, they are groups of semantic systems that make meanings of a related kind. The three metafunctions are mapped onto the structure of the clause. For this reason, systemic linguists analyse a clause from three perspectives. Halliday argues that the concept of metafunction is one of a small set of principles that are necessary to explain how language works; this concept of function in language is necessary to explain the organisation of the semantic system of language. Function is considered to be "a fundamental property of language itself".
According to Ruqaiya Hasan, the metafunctions in SFL "are not hierarchised; they have equal status, and each is manifested in every act of language use: in fact, an important task for grammatics is to describe how the three metafunctions are woven together into the same linguistic unit". Hasan argues that this is one way in which Halliday's account of the functions of language is different from that of Karl Bühler, for example, for whom functions of language are hierarchically ordered, with the referential function the most important of all. For Buhler, the functions were considered to operate one at a time. In SFL, the metafunctions operate simultaneously, and any utterance is a harmony of choices across all three functions.
Usage examples of "metafunction".
His use of the coercive metafunction that used to be called animal magnetism was instinctive and devastating.
Inexperienced though she was in the ways of offensive metafunction, Elizabeth saw how the Angel of the Abyss had planned this from the very beginning: the elimination of two great minds that threatened his schemes, and the coincidental death of the third, beneath contempt.
If Tanu testing shows that an arriving time-traveler has significant latent metafunctions, the lucky person is given a silver torc.
She had succeeded in concealing her strong latent metafunctions from Epone, escaping the torc at least temporarily.
Aiken and Raimo and Sukey would learn how to use the metafunctions made newly operant by their silver torcs.
His silver torc, instead of merely freeing his metafunctions, had acted as a trigger to a psychic avalanche.
But even us grays—without getting any metafunctions to speak of—gain something fantastic through this torc.
I’ve got stupendous metafunctions, of course, and I’m a wiz in battle.
No, except for Brede (who doesn’t really count), we didn’t understand how the torcs worked to make our own metafunctions operant, and we didn’t try very hard to understand the powers themselves.
They were bidding their personal services to the Crown—nominal owner of all exceptional time-travelers—offering their metafunctions, their material wealth, their torced and untorced human subjects.
My being trapped here in the Pliocene, separated forever from the Unity, with my metafunctions restored and monsters nipping at my heels, is a cosmic joke.
Since the information he gave Felice was basically the truth (and since he was marvelously adept at concealing the seams that joined truth to semitruth and falsehood), the girl’s redactive power, weakest of her five metafunctions, could find no fault with his recital.
This guy is not only loaded with metafunctions, but he’s also in a high position.
Our son the Battlemaster has metafunctions to burn and more panache than me and my Awful Father and my Unspeakable Grandsire all rolled up in one.
The reigning champions also had the option of dueling contenders with both weapons and metafunctions at any time during the High Melee.