ABSTRACT
Register is an instance of language-in-action. It can therefore be described in terms of phonological, lexical and grammatical indexical markers and common-core features. Register is as well the realization of the semantic possibilities of language. Register can thus be identified by its relationship to situation. The more typical or stereotyped the situation the more restricted will be the range of options from which choices in field, mode and tenor can be made. Register reflects both the on-going activity of the situation in which the text belongs but also the previous experiences of the individual. Register-shifting may indicate formal education and a conscious awareness of linguistic norms. When they do not, friction can be caused among the participants, a social 'gaffe' perhaps committed. The marked register of greeting and address promotes smooth social interaction when participants know and abide by the rules. The interaction is therefore instrumental in kind.
