Text [3:1] — Problems With Martin's 'Semantics Of Reference' Analysis [6]

Martin (1992: 127, 128):

The nominal groups in [3:1] are listed below. Each is coded for the IDENTIFICATION choices made and the type of reference to the context where these choices are phoric. The analysis will be annotated for purposes of discussion, rather than presented in detail.

NOMINAL GROUP	REFERENCE (terminal features)	RETRIEVAL (where phoric)
Mum	presuming…unique	homophoric*

vi. As a name, Mum, is homophoric within a family unit; and this is interpretable as the community at risk here;

Blogger Comments:

[1] This mistakes ideational denotation for textual reference. The word Mum does not function as a reference item because it does present an item as identifiable; rather, it construes an identity.  The confusion is one of metafunction.

[2] 'At risk' means in danger of being harmed or damaged, or of dying.  No community is at risk here, least of all a family unit.