“相关性”(pertinence)是Martinet的功能语言学理论中的主要术语之一。本文试图阐释相关性概念,探究其本质及重要性。在此基础上,笔者考察了不同语言单位在交际中的各自的功能,揭示相关性在音位、符素、句法以及韵律层面的表现形式,从而构建分布于不同语言层次的相关性体系。本研究有利于加深对语言系统的特征及运行机制的认识。 “Pertinence ” (pertinence) is one of the main terms in Martinet’s functional linguistic theory. This article attempts to explain the concept of relevance and explore its nature and importance. On this basis, the author examines the respective functions of different linguistic units in communication, reveals the manifestations of relevance at phonemes, morphemes, syntactic and prosodic levels, and constructs a correlation system that is distributed across different linguistic levels. This study is conducive to deepen the understanding of the characteristics of the language system and operating mechanism.