Pragmatics Flashcards
Pragmatics
language in use and context in which it is used; study of the relation between linguistic units and people who communicate, studies of the ability to match used language to context, how more is communicated than said, the study of the speaker and contextual meaning
Invisible meaning
understanding of the underlying message even when it’s not explicitly said
Context
discourse that surrounds a language and helps interpret it
Linguistic context
a set of words in the same phrase/context
Physical context
interpretation based of physical enviorment
Deixis
“pointing via language”, the use of general words to refer to specific time, place or person, cannot be interpreted without reference to the physical context
Person deixis
I, you, she: indicates the person/social status(?)
Place deixis
indicates proximity; there, here, this
Time deixis
used to describe location in time; now, then
Reference
a speaker uses linguistic forms to help the addressee to identify something
Referring expressions
linguistic forms like proper nouns, indefinite/definite nouns and pronouns
Inference
allows the listener to correctly identify which entity the speaker is referring to
Anaphora
referring back, a reference to something already mentioned
Oataphora
referring forward
Presumption
the knowledge the speaker assumes the listener has
Speech acts
an utterance that serves a function in communication, is considered an action
What are the 3 linguistic forms and functions of speech acts?
Imperative mood - commands
Indicative mood - statements
Interrogative mood - questions
What is a direct speech act and when it occurs?
A direct speech act is when there is a direct relationship between the structure and the communicative function of the utterance. It occurs when a question is a question, a statement is a statement and a command is a command.
What is an indirect speech act and when it occurs?
It is an utterance whose form does not reflect the intended illocutionary force. It occurs when fe. a statement is understood as a question, a question is understood as a command etc.
Felicity conditions
specific conditions which are related to appropriate interpretations of speech acts, a speaker needs to meet certain conditions to be understood well fe. a command cannot be issued by a person of lower rank
Face
one’s self image that can saved or threatened during a social interaction
Politeness
intention to be polite and not hurt someone’s feelings affects language interpretation
