Pragmatics: Repetition

Basics
Q: What is Pragmatics about?

Basics
Q: What is Pragmatics about? Pragmatics describes.... language use / language in context (wide definition) relationship between sign and user (narrow definition)

Semantics vs. pragmatics

Q: What are some of the differences between semantics and pragmatics?

Semantics vs. pragmatics

Q: What are some of the differences between semantics and pragmatics? Both semantics and pragmatics are concerned with meaning. Semantics... explains meaning purely in language-internal terms looks at language as an abstract system of signs describes literal meaning only Pragmatics... explains meaning as negotiated between speaker and listener looks at language as a tool for communication describes intended and understood meaning

Some terms from pragmatics

Q: What terms do we use to describe... What someone literally says? What a speaker intends? What a hearer understands?

Some terms from pragmatics

Q: What terms do we use to describe... What someone literally says? locution What a speaker intends? illocution What a hearer understands? perlocution

Inference
Q: What is inference?

Inference
Q: What is inference? An inference is a deduction made by a listener based on his knowledge about the world (it connects locution and perlocution).

Inference
Q: What is inference? An inference is a deduction made by a listener based on his knowledge about the world (it connects locution and perlocution). Example: Judy has borrowed my Kortmann to study Inference: people can't be borrowed, but books can - Kortmann must refer to a book

Presupposition
Q: What is presupposition?

Presupposition
Q: What is presupposition? A presupposition is a logical requirement ( Vorbedingung ) that takes on a concrete linguistic shape.

Presupposition
Q: What is presupposition? A presupposition is a logical requirement ( Vorbedingung ) that takes on a concrete linguistic shape. Example: Mike's sister is really nice (presupposition: Mike has a sister) My car broke down this morning (presupposition: I have a car) The door is no longer open (presupposition: the door was open before) I like chocolate too! (two possible presuppositions: a) someone else likes chocolate as well, b) something else is also liked apart from chocolate)

Deixis and anaphora

Q: Which of the elements in these sentences are deictic, which are anaphoric? When Sue finally arrived at the hotel, she was very tired. I ordered a pizza and then looked up Williamsburg on the map. We wanted to drive there tomorrow.

Deixis and anaphora

Q: Which of the elements in these sentences are deictic, which are anaphoric? When Sue finally arrived at the hotel, she was very tired. I ordered a pizza and then looked up Williamsburg on the map. We wanted to drive there tomorrow. she, we, there = anaphoric I, tomorrow = deictic

Speech acts
assertives directives: commisives: expressives: declaratives:

Speech acts
assertives: I think tigers are nearly extinct directives: Would you open the window, please? commisives: I promise I'll do my homework expressives: I don't believe this crap! declaratives: The court declares the defendant not guilty

IFIDs
Q: What is an IFID?

IFIDs
Q: What is an IFID? An Illocutionary Force Indicating Device (IFID) is a piece of language that signals what kind of speech act is being performed.

IFIDs
Q: What is an IFID? An Illocutionary Force Indicating Device (IFID) is a piece of language that signals what kind of speech act is being performed. Example: Would you pass me the salt, please?

Performatives
Q: What is a performative?

Performatives
Q: What is a performative? Perfomatives are sentences or expressions that make the kind of illocutionary force of an utterance explicit.

Performatives
Q: What is a performative? Perfomatives are sentences or expressions that make the kind of illocutionary force of an utterance explicit. Examples: I hereby name this ship H.M.S. Titanic The United Nations condemns this terrible act We declare the winner to be Mr. John Smith of Springfield

Felicity conditions
Q: What are felicity conditions?

Felicity conditions
Q: What are felicity conditions? Felicity conditions determine whether or not a speech act is successful. A speech act is infelicitous when... ...it is illogical: I promise to call you last year ...requirements aren't met: I will buy you a Porsche, honey ...it is a lie: I really like your new jacket

Direct and indirect speech acts

Q: What's the difference between direct and indirect speech acts?

Direct and indirect speech acts

Q: What's the difference between direct and indirect speech acts? An indirect speech act masks one type of act (the primary one) as something else (the secondary one).

Direct and indirect speech acts

Q: What's the difference between direct and indirect speech acts? An indirect speech act masks one type of act (the primary one) as something else (the secondary one). Example: It's pretty cold in here secondary speech act: assertion about temperature primary speech act: request to close the window

Implicatures
Q: What are implicatures?

Implicatures
Q: What are implicatures? Pragmatic implicatures are the result of successfully inferring meaning from utterances, the context and our past communicative experiences. A: What time is it? B: The evening news just started => A can infer from the context what time it is A: When are you coming to visit us ? B: I'm very busy at the moment => A can infer from that B means 'No'

The cooperative principle

Q: What is the cooperative principle?

The cooperative principle

Q: What is the cooperative principle? every speaker wants to be understood by his listeners every listener assumes that what they are told is relevant to them and the current situation and that it is accurate to the best of the speaker's knowledge

Conversational maxims
Q: What are the conversational maxims?

Conversational maxims
Q: What are the conversational maxims? Grice's conversational maxims: quality quantity relation manner

Hedges
Q: What are hedges?

Hedges
Q: What are hedges? Hedges are devices used by speakers to "explain" utterances beforehand in relation to the four maxims. As far as I know... From what I have heard... In my opinion...