Beyond the Literal: Refining Text Typology through the Lens of Denotation and Connotation
Beyond the Literal: Refining Text Typology through the Lens of Denotation and Connotation

Summary/Abstract: Text typology, a focal area of text linguistics since the 1970s, still faces a fragmented landscape with diversetypologies each analysing distinct parameters. Although some approaches (particularly those by Werlich andSabatini) have yielded significant insights, they often fall short in identifying specific text types like irony, humourand metaphors – these texts, while superficially resembling other texts, possess inherent semantic characteristics.This article introduces a novel approach by positioning a denotative/connotative semantic parameter at the top of thetypological hierarchy. Beginning with a critical overview of current text typologies, the article justifies the inclusionof such a parameter with references to speech act theory, poetic language and the general theory of verbal humourbased on script opposition. Integrated with other surface-level parameters, this model may help effectively classifya broad spectrum of text genres, in the light of contemporary linguistic theories.

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