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Revision as of 20:32, 3 April 2013
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Group 4 - Implicatures
Overview
Members
Short Description of the Topic
An implicature is anything that is inferred from an utterance but that is not a condition for the truth of the utterance, or as the OED defines it a " meaning beyond the literal sense of what is explicitly stated".
For example, if we take the following short dialogue:
A: Can you tell me the time?
B: Well, the milkman has come.
(Levinson, 1997, p.107)
It may seem at first, that speaker B's answer has no relevance to speaker A's question. However, speaker B is in fact implying more than he or she actually says. Both speakers obviously share knowledge about the time at which the milkman normally comes and therefore Speaker A is able infer the approximate time from speaker B's answer.
This is an example of a (particularized) conversational implicature, however there are a number of different types of implicatures. Below is a brief overview:
- Conversational implicatures
- Generalized conversational implicatures
- Particularized conversational implicatures
- Scalar implicatures
- Conventional implicatures
- Potential implicature: A potential implicature is an implicature that would arise from any of the components of a given utterance if that component were uttered in some linguistic or extralinguistic context.
- Actual implicature: an actual implicature is any potential implicature that is not canceled by its context.
Students often have difficulties distinguishing between implicatures, presuppositions and entailments.
Would you like to know more about implicatures? If so, please click here to view our Prezi presentation on implicatures
References and Links
References
- Bieswanger, Markus & Annette Becker (2006): Introduction to English Linguistics (2nd edition). Tübingen and Basel: A. Francke Verlag.
- Grice, Paul (1975): Logic and conversation. In P. Cole and J. Morgan (eds): Syntax and Semantics 3, 41-58. New York: Academic Press.
- Levinson, Stephen C (1983): Pragmatics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Yule, George (1996): Pragmatics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Links
- Definition of implicature from the Oxford English Dictionary
- Definition and detailed explanation from the Stanford Encylopedia of Philosophy
- Definition from Universal Teacher
- Glottopedia Entry on Implicature
Our E-learning Objects
Our Glossary Entries
in the Basic Glossary:
Our Podcast
<mediaplayer>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUtSBL3wWZ0&feature=youtu.be</mediaplayer>
Group 4 - The 5 Characteristic Properties of Implicatures
Voice-over: Jenny
Editing: Anna P., Stephanie C., Stephie R.
References: Levinson, Stephen C (1997): Pragmatics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Music: by Dan-O at DanoSongs.com
Our Prezi Presentation
See our Prezi for an overview of some of the main topics of implicatures, including:
- Grice's theory of implicatures (the cooperative principle and the maxims)
- (Particularized) Conversational implicatures
- Conventional implicatures
- Scalar implicatures.
- Characteristic properties of implicatures
- Tests for implicatures
Our Online Excercises
Exercise I
According to Grice's theory of conversational implicature, there are four basic maxims which specify how to be cooperative in conversation: Quantity, Manner, Quality and Relation. Grice believed that implicatures arise when these maxims are blatantly flouted and the speaker (relying on an assumption of cooperation) is forced to infer meaning.
Which of the four maxims are flouted the five dialogues below?
(Take a look at our Prezi presentation if you need help with the maxims.)
To see the solution, simply mark the line behind 'Maxim violated' under every dialogue.
a) Mom: What did you think of Junior’s childish behavior last night?
Dad: Well, boys will be boys
Maxim flouted: QUANTITY (though some of you might prefer MANNER)
b) Student A: Do you like Linguistics?
Student B: Well, let’s just say I don’t jump for joy before class.
Maxim flouted: MANNER
c) Teacher A: Do you have any rude students this semester?
Teacher B: All students are rude.
Maxim violated: QUALITY
d) Student: I was absent on Monday - did I miss anything important?
Teacher: Oh no, of course not, we never do anything important in class.
Maxim flouted: QUALITY
e) Student A: (while waiting for class to begin) Isn’t Professor X a jerk?
Student B: Uh, It really is a nice day out, isn’t it?
Maxim flouted: RELATION
Exercise II
Common examples of implicatures can be found in figures of speech such as Irony, Sarcasm, Hyperbole or Metaphor. Look at the pictures below and decide which of the figures of speech apply:
To see the solution, simply mark the line behind the word 'solution' under every picture.
Solution: HYPERBOLE
Solution: IRONY
Solution: METAPHOR
Solution: SARCASM
Exercise III
This exercise deals with Scalar Implicatures. A linguistic scale consists of a set of linguistic
alternates, or contrastive expressions of the same grammatical category, which can be arranged in
a linear order by degree of informativeness or semantic strength.
Put the following sentences in the right order. Start with the sentence which contains the strongest
quantifier.
Again, to see the solution, simply mark the lines under the word 'solution'.
All of the boys went to the party.
Some of the boys went to the party.
Most of the boys went to the party.
A few of the boys went to the party.
Many of the boys went to the party
Solution:
All of the boys went to the party.
Most of the boys went to the party.
Many of the boys went to the party.
Some of the boys went to the party.
A few of the boys went to the party.
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