Pragmatics

Pragmatics explores the contribution of context to meaning.

The linguistic and non-linguistic context can affect our interpretation of deictic expressions and sentences.

We use language to accomplish speech acts.

Performative verbs perform specific speech acts overtly.

The hereby test can be used to see if a verb is used to perform a speech act.

It is necessary to satisfy the felicity conditions to perform a speech act correctly.

Speech acts can be accomplished directly or indirectly.

H. P. Grice proposed the Cooperative Principle as the basis for all conversations.

Grice identified a number of conversational rules or maxims that embody the cooperative principle.

There are maxims of Quality, Relevance, Quantity and Manner.

Speakers flout conversational rules to produce conversational implicatures.

Conversational implicatures can be cancelled.

Advertisers exploit conversational implicature to make extravagant claims.

Metaphor provides another example of flouting conversational rules.

This week’s lecture notes.