ISO/TR TECHNICAL REPORT 20694 First edition 2018-04 A typology of language registers Une typologie des registres de langues Reference number IS0/TR 20694:2018(E) ISO @ IS0 2018 IS0/TR 20694:2018(E) COPYRIGHTPROTECTEDDOCUMENT @ IS0 2018 All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either IsO at the address below or Iso's member body in the country of the requester. ISO copyright office CP 401 : Ch. de Blandonnet 8 CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva Phone: +4122 749 0111 Fax: +41 22 749 09 47 Email: [email protected] Website: www.iso.org Published in Switzerland ii @ IS0 2018 - All rights reserved IS0/TR 20694:2018(E) Contents Page Foreword ..iv Introduction. ..V 1 Scope. 2 Normative references 3 Terms and definitions. 4 General principles. .3 4.1 Ability to vary and use language registers appropriately .3 4.2 Language registers and non-linguistic signals .3 4.3 Differences across languages... 4 4.4 Descriptive and prescriptive registers ..4 4.5 Text types, contexts, and linguistic characteristics. 4 4.6 Language registers as formal to informal or high to low continua. 4.7 Division into subregistries. ..5 4.8 Language registers and other language varieties ..5 4.9 Languages used in document examples. .6 4.10 Continuing evolution of language registers .6 5 Markers of different language registers .6 5.1 Lexicalmarkers 5.1.1 General .6 5.1.2 Domain-specific vocabularies. 5.1.3 Archaic words and phrases. .7 5.1.4 Shortened and contracted form of words 5.1.5 Slang, swear words, profanities and taboo words 7 5.1.6 Use of foreign words and phrases ..8 5.1.7 Register switch markers. ..8 5.2 Phonological markers .9 5.3 Grammatical features. 9 5.3.1 General. .9 5.3.2 Differences in morphology. .9 5.3.3 Passive and impersonal constructions 9 5.3.4 Direct and active verb forms and use of specific tenses ..10 5.3.5 Use of concise or periphrastic verb forms ..10 5.3.6 Long/complex nominal phrases. .10 5.3.7 Conjunctions and linking phrases ..10 5.3.8 Sentence length ..10 5.4 Honorifics and forms of address ..11 5.4.1 General ..11 5.4.2 Polite forms of address. .11 5.4.3 Vocabulary and grammar in honorific forms of address .12 6 Mapping registers between languages. .12 6.1 Register equivalence in different languages ..12 6.2 Conveying language registers in translation .13 6.3 Inconsistenciesinregister ..13 6.4 Loss of information in translation. .13 6.5 Identifying language registers for translation memories ..13 7 Language registers and diglossia ..14 Bibliography ..15 Alphabetic index of the terms and definitions ..16 @ IS0 2018 - All rights reserved iii