Look at Vincent van Gogh's work:
Self portrait, 1889*
As you can see, this is a self-portrait in which the artist used painting to talk about the very act of painting, that is, his profession. Thus, the author uses a language function known as metalinguistic function, which can be defined as:
The function that emphasizes the code, that is, when the objective of message it's talking about the language itself.
In addition to plastic arts, we can note the presence of the metalinguistic function in other textual genres:
The) in poetry:
The Self Portrait
In the portrait I make myself
– line by line –
sometimes I paint myself cloud,
sometimes I paint myself a tree...
sometimes I paint things
that there is no longer any memory…
or things that don't exist but that one day there will be…
and from this read, in what do I look for
– little by little -
my eternal likeness,
in the end, what will be left?
A child's drawing…
Fixed by a madman!
(Mario Quintana, Supernatural History Notes)
See how the author of the poem uses language to talk about how he makes a self-portrait and, at the same time, builds it through the poem, that is, his theme is making poetic.
B) in the chronicle:
Chronicle has this advantage: it does not force the editorialist's jacket and tie, forced to define a correct position in the face of major problems; it does not require the reporter's jumping nervousness, responsible for ascertaining the fact at the very time it happens, from the person doing it; it dispenses with hard-earned specialization in economics, sports, national and international politics, religion and as much as you can imagine. I know that there are political, sports, religious, economic, etc., but the chronicle I'm talking about is one that doesn't need to understand anything when talking about everything. The general chronicler is not required to provide accurate information or comment that we charge others. What we ask of you is a kind of mild madness, which develops a certain unorthodox point of view and non-trivial, and awaken in us the inclination for the game of fantasy, the absurd and the variation of the spirit. Of course he must be a trustworthy guy, still on the ramble. It is not understood, or I do not understand, a factious chronicler, who serves a personal or group interest, because the chronicle is territory free of imagination, committed to circulating between the events of the day, without trying to influence on them. To do more than that would be an unreasonable pretense on your part. He knows that his term of action is limited: minutes at breakfast or waiting for the collective.
(Carlos Drummond de Andrade)
Now, notice how the author uses the writing of a chronicle to talk about the very act of writing this type of text.
ç) in the dictionary:
Substantive
substantive
adj
1 It is said in a word that, exclusively and without the help of another, it designates the substance of beings.
2 It is said of a word that designates beings in general, actions, states and notions.
3 JUR: It is said of the law that constitutes the essential part of the legislation or defines principles.
4 QUÍM: It is said of dye that is applied directly to amphoteric fibers, without the need to add mordant; direct.
yes
GRAM: Class of words with which we name beings in general, actions, states and notions (Luciana, Brazil, book, fish, race, joy, width, etc.).
(Michaelis Online Dictionary- <http://michaelis.uol.com.br/moderno-portugues/busca/portugues-brasileiro/substantivo/> Accessed on: February 6, 2018)
In this case, note the objective of the message to talk about the language itself, that is, the objective of defining what is noun.
d) in films when their theme is cinema.
e) in the theater whose theme is the theater itself, etc.
Thus, it is possible to notice that this function of language is present in the most diverse communicative forms, both in formal and informal contexts.
* Image credit: Everett - Art / Shutterstock.com
By Mariana Rigonatto
Graduated in Letters
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/portugues/o-que-e-funcao-metalinguistica.htm
