Curated exhibitions · ATLAS 260

Who may speak, and who is heard?

Linguistic forms can enable access, set expectations and distribute recognition. These stations invite a distinction between power, authority and register in concrete conversations.

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Which linguistic conditions make reasoned disagreement possible?

Responsible editor: Michael Reich · Prepared: 2026-10-17. Versioned research edition. No DOI or external archival deposit is documented.

Case study

Fictional exercise written for this material. Not empirical data.

An imagined association board plans new opening hours. The chair says: “The experts recommend this, so we all agree.” Two new members remain silent. One member asks about the evidence and requests an explanation without administrative jargon.

Station 1 · AT-CORE-239-035

Power

The capacity to shape the actions, interpretations, rules, or possibilities of others.

Look for possibilities for action and their limits. Start from an observable situation.

Who can determine the topic or speaking time in an imagined meeting?

Read the definition and distinctions in the linked full profile. Which statement is supported by its documented reference, and which arises only from your comparison with the exercise?

Sources and references (2)

W02 · Metzler Lexikon Sprache · PDF-Seiten 8, 53, 63, 66, 76 · Volltext-/Artikelabgleich
Show scope of evidence
Offenes Beziehungsnetz → zweiter Grundbegriffscheck → Metzler/HWRh-Abgleich → ATLAS_239
W03.1 · Historisches Wörterbuch der Rhetorik, Band 1 · PDF-Seiten 8, 11, 12, 13, 15 · Volltext-/Artikelabgleich
Show scope of evidence
Offenes Beziehungsnetz → zweiter Grundbegriffscheck → Metzler/HWRh-Abgleich → ATLAS_239

Examine the full profile and its sources

Sources and references

W02 · Metzler Lexikon Sprache · PDF-Seiten 8, 53, 63, 66, 76 · Volltext-/Artikelabgleich
W03.1 · Historisches Wörterbuch der Rhetorik, Band 1 · PDF-Seiten 8, 11, 12, 13, 15 · Volltext-/Artikelabgleich

Full profile and scope of evidence: https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-CORE-239-035

Examine connections Next station →

Station 2 · AT-CORE-239-006

Authority

Recognised power of validity or decision held by a person, institution, tradition, or source.

Distinguish recognition from mere enforcement. Reasons for competence can be disclosed and challenged.

Which question tests expert advice without dismissing expertise wholesale?

Read the definition and distinctions in the linked full profile. Which statement is supported by its documented reference, and which arises only from your comparison with the exercise?

Sources and references (2)

W02 · Metzler Lexikon Sprache · PDF-Seiten 76 · Volltext-/Artikelabgleich
Show scope of evidence
Offenes Beziehungsnetz → zweiter Grundbegriffscheck → Metzler/HWRh-Abgleich → ATLAS_239
W03.1 · Historisches Wörterbuch der Rhetorik, Band 1 · PDF-Seiten 75, 99, 101, 167, 179 · Volltext-/Artikelabgleich
Show scope of evidence
Offenes Beziehungsnetz → zweiter Grundbegriffscheck → Metzler/HWRh-Abgleich → ATLAS_239

Examine the full profile and its sources

Sources and references

W02 · Metzler Lexikon Sprache · PDF-Seiten 76 · Volltext-/Artikelabgleich
W03.1 · Historisches Wörterbuch der Rhetorik, Band 1 · PDF-Seiten 75, 99, 101, 167, 179 · Volltext-/Artikelabgleich

Full profile and scope of evidence: https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-CORE-239-006

Examine connections Next station →

Station 3 · AT-091-056

Register

A situation-dependent variety with typical linguistic forms and norms of usage.

Compare two ways of phrasing the same request. Register belongs to the situation, not to a person’s unchanging worth.

Which phrasing helps a new group member participate?

Read the definition and distinctions in the linked full profile. Which statement is supported by its documented reference, and which arises only from your comparison with the exercise?

Sources and references (1)

ATLAS_091 · Fachquellenzuordnung offen

Examine the full profile and its sources

Sources and references

ATLAS_091 · Fachquellenzuordnung offen

Full profile and scope of evidence: https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-091-056

Examine connections Next station →

Station 4 · AT-ADD-20261016-0009

Consensus

Consensus is shared acceptance of a judgement or course of action, whose object, extent and conditions must be specified rather than assumed.

Examine how agreement arises and how it can be questioned again.

Which rule prevents silence from automatically counting as consent?

Read the definition and distinctions in the linked full profile. Which statement is supported by its documented reference, and which arises only from your comparison with the exercise?

Sources and references (4)

Historisches Wörterbuch der Rhetorik, Bd. 4, Artikel „Konsens“; hg. von Gert Ueding, Tübingen: Max Niemeyer 1998. Sp. 1256–1258; PDF-Seiten 634–635
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Definition sowie Unterscheidungen von Gültigkeitskonsens und Interessenkompromiss. Die systematischen Positionen der Autoren werden nicht als alleinige Bedeutung des Wortes ausgegeben. | Original Atlas applications remain separate.
Merriam-Webster: consensus
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Lexikalischer Beleg und Wortgeschichte des englischen Lemmas, keine vollständige Disziplingeschichte und keine automatische Übertragung auf deutsche Erstbelege. | Original Atlas applications remain separate.
Duden online: Konsens
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Knappe deutsche Bedeutungs- und Herkunftsstütze, keine neue historische Erstbelegprüfung. | Original Atlas applications remain separate.
Atlas der Sprache: Vergleichsstand Release 15.8.0 / Sites 352
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Arbeitsbasis des zuletzt in diesem Chat veröffentlichten Stands, keine neue vollständige Produktivinventur und kein unabhängiger wissenschaftlicher Beleg. | Original Atlas applications remain separate.

Examine the full profile and its sources

Sources and references

Historisches Wörterbuch der Rhetorik, Bd. 4, Artikel „Konsens“; hg. von Gert Ueding, Tübingen: Max Niemeyer 1998. Sp. 1256–1258; PDF-Seiten 634–635
Merriam-Webster: consensus · https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consensus
Duden online: Konsens · https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Konsens
Atlas der Sprache: Vergleichsstand Release 15.8.0 / Sites 352

Full profile and scope of evidence: https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-ADD-20261016-0009

Examine connections

Research and seminar questions

When does specialist language help collaboration, and when does it hinder access?
Which procedures make authority accountable?
Can a group agree while still overlooking individual voices?

Boundary of this exhibition

A single expression does not establish a power structure. Situated usage, institutional rules and participants’ perspectives require separate investigation.

Open learning materials Continue as a reading path Versioned theme edition and provenance

Citation

Michael Reich: Who may speak, and who is heard?. Atlas der Sprache / Atlas of Language. Material version atlas-260-20261017-04. ATLAS 260; source release 15.9.1. https://atlasoflanguage.com/exhibitions/sprache-und-macht. Add access date.

The fixed edition version is linked separately. Source rights apply individually.