The Effability of Semantic Relations: Describing Attitude

This paper explores some aspects of the problem of developing terminology for attitudinal relations in English, as part of a description of evaluation informed by systemic functional linguistics (SFL)-APPRAISAL.It reviews the relational theory of meaning underpinning the description and key dimensions of the Systemic Functional Linguistic theory from which the description is derived.Key issues in the selection of terms and presentation of APPRAISAL systems are then discussed, and suggestions canvassed for possible revisions.The paper highlights the possibilities and challenges involved in naming and presenting semantic relations in descriptions using SFL as their informing theory.