Chapter 10 - Pragmatics (speaker meaning)

Question 1

Context

Answer 1

The circumstances which makes us understand a message we maybe wouldn’t understand without the context. Co-text is the set of other words used in the same phrase or context. The co-text impacts how we interoperate a word. For instance, bank, which is a homonym.

Question 2

Deixis/deictic expressions

Answer 2

Using words such as this or here as a way of poiting with language. Person deixis is when we point on a person (him, them, those). Space deixis is a place (here, there, near that). Temporal deixis points at a point in time (now, then, last week).

Question 3

Reference

Answer 3

An act by which a speaker (or writer) uses language to enable the listener to identify something. For instance proper nouns, pronouns. For instance a man who drives a motorcycle can be called Mr Kawasaki. A brand name then refers to a person. Inference, is additional information used by the listener to create a connection between what is said and what is meant. “Can I look at your Chomsky?” means that the person knows the writers name and then the book can be called Chomsky. Anaphora is referring back to something. The kitchen, the puppy, the driver. The first mentions is the antecedent “We found a house, but the kitchen was very small”, we must make an inference that if X is a house, then X has a kitchen in order to interpret the connection between a house and the anaphoric expression the kitchen. Cataphora is the other way around “When he came home, John went to sleep”. The he is a cataphora.

Question 4

Presupposition

Answer 4

We design our linguistic messages according to what we assume the listener already knows. What a speaker assumes is true or known by the listener can be describes as a presupposition. “Why did you arrive late” there is a presupposition that you did arrive late. Your brother, assumes you have a brother.

Question 5

Pragmatic marker

Answer 5

Marks speaker’s attitude. In goods name, so, well, I regret etc in the beginning of a sentence.

Question 6

Speech act (direct and indirect)

Answer 6

Direct is an action in which the form used (e.g. interrogative) directly matches the function (question) performed by a speaker with an utterance. Indirect does not directly match the function. “You left the door open” can be a direct speech act (a statement) or an indirect (please close the door behind you”.

Question 7

Politeness

Answer 7

In linguistic politeness the most relevant concept is face. Face is your public self-image. Politeness can be defined as showing awareness and consideration of another person’s face. “Give me that paper!” indicates you have more power, a face-threatening act. “Could you pass med that paper?” is less threat to other person’s face. A face-saving act.

Question 8

Face (negative and positive)

Answer 8

Negative face is the need to be independent and free from imposition. “Im sorry to bother you” Positive face is the need to be connected, to belong. “Let’s do this together”.