Abstract
This contribution examines how a complex entity as “genres” can be described in linguistic terms. It is assumed that genres are ordinary categories through which communication is analysed in speech communities and which organises everyday communication : we speak through genres, as M. Bakhtine used to write. In that sense, the study of genres (specially of the genres names) is part of folk linguistics. Genres can also be described as text types, which shows common features in structure, morpho-syntaxic realisations, tone, theme... from a comparative point of view and using the categories of text linguistics. Genres are also part of institutions and expression of social and ideological conflicts : this socio-historical dimension could explain some of their formal and semantic features in the theoretical framework of discourse analysis. It is argued that these three forms of linguistic approaches of genres are together necessary to their description.
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