Text structure?Pragmatics? Pragmatics!raha/306a_web/09-downloadfiles/Pragmatics.pdf · propositions. Communicatively, it’s a surrender, a capitulation, a collapse of my resolve,

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English 306A; Harris 1

Text structure?Pragmatics?

Pragmatics!


Pragmatics

Interpersonal functionAustinian Speech ActsGricean Conversational Principles


Speech Acts

Sam-I-Am’sbeen here.

I can’t find any whisky!

Conversational maxims

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Functions

Ideational function:What does “The cat is on the mat” mean as an expression in

the system of English?How?

Denotation, truth conditions, event schemata, semantic roles, …

Interpersonal function:What does “The cat is on the mat” mean to hearer X, when

said by speaker Y, in context Z?How?

Speech acts, conversational maxims, face principles, deixis, …


Functions

Ideational function:What does “The cat is on the mat” mean as an expression in

the system of English?How?

Denotation, truth conditions, event schemata, semantic roles, …

Interpersonal function:What does “The cat is on the mat” mean to hearer X, when

said by speaker Y, in context Z?How?

Speech acts, conversational maxims, face principles, deixis, …


Meaning

SemanticsPropositionsTruth/falsityContext-freeLanguage-in-vitro

PragmaticsUtterancesAppropriatenessContext-dependentLanguage-in-vivo

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Ideational function

What we’ve been studying to this point:Language from the perspective of encoding ideas, and the mechanicsof transmitting those ideas, within the system of a language.


Interpersonal function

Language from the perspective of making andmaintaining human contact, so we cancoöperate, negotiate, decide, get along, buildbridges, and generally function as socialanimals.



A supplement to the ideational function—not asubstitute—but a crucial supplement.

The ideational function is necessary, but notsufficient.

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Phatic communionsocial contact

Communicativemental contact



Interpersonal functionPhatic

The use of language to establish or maintainsocial relations

Sam!


Phatic

Utterances whosechief function is toestablish or maintaincontact; much likecanine gluteus-maximus reciprocalolfactory analysis.

Hi, Hello, yo, …How are you, How’s it going,

How’s it hanging, …Live long and prosper, Keep

on truckin, Keep it real, …Nice weather, Cold enough

for you?, Hope the raindon’t hurt the rhubarb, ….

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Interpersonal functionCommunicative

The use of language to encode and transmitintentions

I will try them. You will see.




Wait! Hold the presses.That sounds like theideational function!What gives?




Not quite. Notice theword is “intentions,”not “ideas”.

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Take, for instance, theutterance, If you will let me be,I will try them. You will see.

Ideationally, it’s just a pair ofpropositions.

Communicatively, it’s asurrender, a capitulation, acollapse of my resolve, and aprediction that I won’t like yourdamn viridescent chow!


Communicative

Utterances whosechief function is toshare mental contents

InformationAttitudesWorldviews

The cat is on the mat.Homer eats crap.Huh?Try them, try them, and you

may, I say.My kingdom for a horse.Please put the lid back down.Put the F&^#ing lid down!e = mc2


Phatic and Communicative

=Sam!If you will letme be, I will try them. You will see.

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Phatic and Communicative

Every utterance has bothphatic and communicativedimensions.


Speech Acts & Conversational Maxims

J. L. AustinPeople do things with words beyond assertingtruth. We act through speech.

H.P. GriceThe way people coordinate theirspeech is very intricate. We follow maxims.


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Speech acts

Locutionthe utterance of a sentence withspecific denotation

Illocutionthe making of a statement, offer,promise, …

Perlocutionthe bringing about of effects onthe audience by means of utteringa sentence (persuading,entertaining, scaring, …)



Illocutionthe making of a statement, offer,promise, …


Speech acts



Illocution= the speech act


Speech acts

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Illocutions/Speech Acts

pronouncement

pronouncement

statement

confirmation

despisement

(iconicstatement)


Illocutions/Speech Acts

pronouncement

pronouncement

statement

confirmation

despisement

(iconicstatement)

FelicityConditions


despisement

FelicityConditions

The physical and socialconditions under which aspeech act can beperformed

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FelicityConditions

The physical and socialconditions under which aspeech act can beperformed

I christen thee“The Good Ship

Lollypop”!


Acts through speechOffer, decline, accept, promise, bet, warn, threaten, suggest,

advise, declare, marry, christen, compliment, insult, joke, …Felicity conditions: appropriate intentions; appropriate

circumstances; appropriate actions.

Try them! Try them! Trythem and you may I say!

Sam!If you will let me be, Iwill try them. You will

see.


Categories of speech acts(Dirven and Verspoor, Table 1, chapter 7)

Ritualized social circumstances (thank someonewhen something has been exchanged, sentence attermination of trial, pronunciation of marriage,…);utterance primarily constitutes act.

Communicate, or request communication ofinformation (assert facts, question truth of facts, solicitthe completion of an assertion, …); utterance primarilyengages in trafficing information.

Commit self or solicit others to do something (offerassistance, request favour, make a bet, …); utteranceprimarily concerns future conduct.

Constitutive

Informative

Obligative

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Communicate, or request communication ofinformation (assert facts, question truth of facts, solicitthe completion of an assertion, …); utterance primarilyengages in trafficing information.



Expressive

Declarative

thanking, apologizing, …

sentencing, pronouncing, …Constitutive

Informative

Obligative




Expressive

Declarative

Assertive

Interrogative


sentencing, pronouncing, …

asserting, describing, …

asking

Constitutive

Informative

Obligative



Expressive

Declarative

Assertive

Interrogative

Directive

Commissive


sentencing, pronouncing, …

asserting, describing, …

asking

requesting, ordering, …

promising, offering, …

Constitutive

Informative

Obligative

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Acts through speechSpeech acts: offer, decline, accept, promise, bet, warn, threaten,

suggest, advise, declare, marry, christen, compliment, insult,joke, …

Felicity conditions: appropriate intentions;appropriate circumstances;appropriate actions.


H. P. Grice


How to talk

Make your conversationalcontribution such as isrequired, at the stage atwhich it occurs, by theaccepted purpose ordirection of the talk-exchange in which you areengaged.

(Grice 1975: 45)

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How to talk

Coöperate.


Relation

Quality

Quantity

Manner

Be relevant.

Be truthful.

Be sufficient (but not prolix).

Be perspicacious.

How to talk, more specificallyGrice’s Maxims


How to talk and interpret; conversational implicatureGrice’s Maxims

Not moral or social injunctions

Empirically derived principles

Maxims that people naturallyfollow, and generally expectothers to follow

To speak

To understand (conversationalimplicature)

Observable mostly in violation

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Maxim of relationIs there a gas station around here?

(=Tell me where I can get gas. I need it and I’m a stranger.)

Be relevant.A1: Yep, there’s a gas station at

King and Weber. [closed]A2: Nope, you’ll have to go all the

way to Erb Street;everything’s closed aroundhere because of the anthraxscare.


Maxim of qualityIs there a gas station around here?


Be truthfulSay what you believe to

be true.Don’t say what you

believe to be false.




Be truthfulSay what you believe to be

true.Don’t say what you believe

to be false.A1: Nope. [ommitting that there

is gas bar at the CanadianTire.]

A2: Well, there’s a gas bar, if youjust need some gas.

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Be truthfulSay what you believe to be

true.Don’t say what you believe

to be false.A1: Nope. [false; there is one]A2: Yep, two lights up on the left

there’s a new PetrosaurusStation.


Maxim of quantityIs there a gas station around here?


Provide enough informationBut not too muchA1: Yep.A2: Sure, King and Erb.A3: Yep, King and Erb.

They have a sale ongumboots at thehardware store acrossthe street from it, too.


Maxim(s) of mannerIs there a gas station around here?


Be clearDon’t be obscureDon’t be ambiguousBe briefBe orderly

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Be clearYes. Somewhere near the

theatre.Don’t be obscureDon’t be ambiguousBe briefBe orderly


Be clearDon’t be obscure

Yep. Next to the old Smithplace.

Don’t be ambiguousBe briefBe orderly


(=Do you know where I can get some gas? I’m a stranger)


Be clearDon’t be obscureDon’t be ambiguous

Maybe there is, maybethere isn’t.

Be briefBe orderly



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Be clearDon’t be obscureDon’t be ambiguousBe brief

Sure quite a few. I know where every gasstation built in the KW area since the GreatWar was located. First, there was the OlliePetrie Service Station at the corner of …

Be orderly




Be clearDon’t be obscureDon’t be ambiguousBe briefBe orderly

Sure. At Erb, turn right off King. To get to King,take Westmount, and turn left when you get there.Before that, go three lights down University andturn left at Westmount. First, however, …




[T]hough some maxim isviolated at the level ofwhat is said, the hearer isentitled to assume thatthat maxim, or at least theoverall cooperativeprinciple, is observed at thelevel of what is implicated.

How to listen(Conversational implicature)

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Grice’s Maxims

The important point:Grice charted the many,many ways we coordinateour speech to each other’sneeds and expectations.


Intention; figuration

All language dialogic (conversational).Grice’s maxims form a baseline of expectations.Figures of thought (tropes) function by violating

maxims, deviating from baseline.The ‘first reading’ doesn’t make sense, so hearers figure

out the speaker’s intention--not what the utterancemeans, but what the speaker means by thatutterance.


Metonymy

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Metonymy

Violates quality


Metonymy

Violates quality

Satisfies relation,quantity, manner


Metaphor

My love is red,red rose.

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Metaphor


Violates quality


Metaphor

Violates quality




Repetitio


Violates manner(brevity)

Satisfies relation,quantity, quality

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Polyptoton




Polyptoton




Irony

Lovely day!

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Irony

Lovely day!

Violates quality


Irony

Violates quality


Lovely day!


Pragmatics

Interpersonal functionPhatic and Communicative

Speech actsInformative, Constitutive, and Obligative

Grice’s MaximsThe coöperative principle (and its ramifications)Speaking and understanding (conversational implicature)

Documents

Text structure?Pragmatics? Pragmatics!raha/306a_web/09-downloadfiles/Pragmatics.pdf · propositions. Communicatively, it’s a surrender, a capitulation, a collapse of my resolve,