Pragmatics Flashcards
Paralanguage/ Paralinguistic Features
Using body language/ gestures when communicating. In electronic texts this is done via emojis
Hyperbole
Exaggerated language (eg. That’s AMAZING/ that’s absolutely HORRIFIC)
Litote
Understatements (eg. ‘It’s ok.’ - when its very good)
Shared Knowledge
Using language that a social group understands. This could be jargon, but this could also be made up informal words(eg. Brat summer).
Pragmatics
Practical aspects of human action and thought
Metaphor
Comparison of two similar things by saying one IS the other
Conceit
Linguistic term for an extended metaphor
Simile
Draws resemblance between two things by saying “thing A is LIKE thing B” or “thing A is AS [adjective] thing B”
Imagery
Where stories use highly descriptive language
Personification
Human traits to describe non human things
Hyperbole
Exaggerated statement often uses in descriptive language to convey a deeper meaning
Rhetorical question
Interrogative that does not require an answer
Hypophora
The person who raises the question answers it immediately themselves
Symbolism
Represent abstract concepts and ideas in stories. Typically derive from objects of non-human (eg. Dove represents peace)
Motif
Recurs throughout a story and helps develop the theme of the narrative (eg. Motif of hope)
Anthropomorphism
Assigning human characteristics to non human entities (God, animals, objects)
Mystery code
Using mystery to evoke suspense or create and entertaining effect
Characterisation
Providing crucial information about characters to aid development
Sensory language
Using the senses to aid description for the reader
Humour
Entertaining the reader via humour from an informal narrator
Emotive language
Using pathos and loaded content to emotionally move the reader
Dramatic irony
When the audience is aware of the true intentions or outcomes while the characters have no idea
Magical realism
Describing events in a real world setting but with magical trappings
Pathetic Fallacy
Attributing human emotions to nature, using the weather to convey emotion/ atmosphere (eg. The angry sky)
Context Bound Information
Understanding meaning based on situational context (definitions can change based on positioning in a sentence or tone it’s said in)
Taking The Floor
Where someone establishes the topic of discussion and will start talking/ deciding upon the topic agenda
Implicature
Where an implied meaning arises through flouting a maxim
(Eg. Speaker A is late —> Speaker B: “nice to see your time keeping has improved
Implicature of speaker B= you are late/ be on time)
Expressives
Providing praise to others
Aka. Positive reinforcement
Verbal irony
Could create humour through possible sarcasm
May allow a speaker to assert their opinion in a more memorable way
Rhetorical questions
A question which implies its own answer
(Eg. Who doesn’t want success?)
Hypophora
A rhetorical question that is answered
(Who doesn’t want success? All of us want success!)
Ideographs
When abstract nouns have emotional impact
(Eg. Virtue, peace, happiness)
Deixis
Words/ phrases which are context dependent
‘Pointing language’
—> refers to the world outside of the text
Exophoric deixis
PRIMARY DEIXIS
Occurs when a word/phrase refers to something outside of the discourse (never revealed)
Three types:
*person
*spatial
*temporal
Person deixis
Pronouns
I, you, us, she, he, it + some proper nouns
Spatial deixis
Words describing the speaker in space/ in relation to other objects
(Eg. Here + there, come + go, this + those + that)
Temporal deixis
Words describing the speaker in terms of time
(Eg. Now, then, yesterday)
Endophoric deixis
SECONDARY DEIXIS
Endophoric deictic terms are revealed in the text (unlike exophoric)
Anaphoric deixis
Refers to something the text has previously identified
(Eg. ‘STEVE ate the apple. HE then drank HIS juice)
Cataphoric deixis
Refers to something in the text which has not yet been identified, such as identifying the third person pronoun
(Eg. ‘Having finished HIS apple; STEVE then drank HIS juice’)
