Bendrinė kalba ir funkciniai stiliai
Standard language and functional styles

Summary/Abstract: The number of functional styles identified by researchers varies from source to source. It depends on the peculiarities of the stylistic system of the language under investigation, on the level of research and the theoretical basis. Specialists of style disagree about the number of styles in one language. In the Lithuanian language there are traditionally five functional styles identified: document, belle-lettres, academic, newspaper and everyday use. There are frequently doubts raised whether the belle-lettre and everyday use styles should be considered as functional styles. In other researchers' opinion, the number of functional styles should be increased, other stylistic means, such as oratorical style, should be given the same status. The present paper aims at providing arguments for the claim that presently the well-established division into functional styles in Lithuania should not be distorted. There are at least two reasons for this. First, no functional style has been researched to the extent that its position in the present classification could be changed. Second, in order to supplement the existing list of styles by new styles, there should be a new theoretical basis identified, another basis of stylistic subdivision established (as against the usual dichotomy: usage area v. function). Currently, it would be more important to clearer identify the subtypes of traditionally acknowledged functional styles, language inter-stylistic varieties, poly-stylistic genres rather than acknowledging the existing new functional styles.

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