DICTION IN SELECTED FACEBOOK BIRTHDAY POSTS: INSIGHTSFROM LEECH AND SHORT’S LINGUISTIC STYLISTICS ANDHALLIDAY’S SYSTEMIC FUNCTIONAL LINGUISTICS
Keywords:
Diction, Facebook, Birthday Posts, Celebrant, Systemic Functional LinguisticsAbstract
Facebook is a social media platform that enables users to interact, share messages, photographs, and videos regardless of distance. Previous studies have examined its role in knowledge sharing, communication, information acquisition, academic performance, and its effects on students. However, little attention has been paid to the diction of birthday messages on Facebook and the linguistic patterns they reveal. This study addresses this gap by analysing ten birthday posts selected from twenty-five collected posts based on their rich and recurring linguistic features. The analysis combines Leech and Short’s lexical category in linguistic stylistics with Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics. Findings show that endearment terms, code-switching, slang, colloquialisms, lexical borrowing, wishes, prayers, and figures of speech express intimacy, solidarity, and friendliness while enhancing the aesthetic quality of the messages. These linguistic features perform interpersonal, socialization, narrative, poetic, and aesthetic functions, reinforcing relationships and reflecting the distinctive sociolect of Facebook users.
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