week 8- speech acts Flashcards
what are the two levels included in speaker meaning?
Utterance meaning –what the sentence means in context Communicative intention (‘force’) –what the speaker intends by using those words
what is logical positivism?
- Sentences only meaningful if conform to truth conditions
- So we need to develop an ideal language
- But then all interpersonal meaning is meaningless!
- John Austin (1911-1960)
what are the two types of utterances
- Constatives(statements) can be judged true or false
* Performatives perform actions (do things with words)
what are some performative verbs?
•I deny, I promise, I object, I apologise, I protest, I quit, I resign •I name (this…), I sentence you, I baptise you, I bet you, I pronounce (you…)
what are the Appropriateness (Felicity) Conditions for doing things with words?
i) There must be a conventional procedure having a conventional effect (situation)
(ii) The circumstances and persons must be appropriate, as specified in the procedure (participants)
(iii) The procedure must be executed correctly and completely (execution)
(iv) The person must have the requisite thoughts, feelings or intentions (when appropriate to the act) (sincerity)
define infelicitous
unfortunate; inappropriate
define felicitous
well chosen or suited to the circumstances
what is a explicit performative
Explicit performatives usually contain a performative verb which is apparent to the other party. It bears a clear cut meaning. In the utterance; “I promise to study,” there is a clear performative verb which is “promise”. The utterance in that case should be declarative. I
what is an implicit performative
- The only way to understand that this is a performative utterance is by realizing the real intention behind that utterance.
- Here the context plays an important role in determining the intention of the interlocutor because the utterance does not bear a cut clear meaning as in the explicit performatives
Perlocutionary act
Bringing about an effect on the audience (‘uptake’)
Locutionary Act
Uttering a sentence in context with a given sense and reference (‘utterance’)
Illocutionary Act
Making a statement, promise, apology etc. through the conventional force of the utterance (‘speech act’)
Imperative
command- Be nice, Joe!
Declarative
statement- Joe is nice
Interrogative
question- Is Joe nice?
Indirect Speech Acts
There isn’t a relationship between MOOD & Speech Act
Direct Speech Acts
there is a direct relationship between the MOOD & speech act
tautology
Tautology is when a second piece of information is redundant because it’s already included in another word or phrase.
IMPLICATURE
additional, intentional but unstated meaning
what are the four maxims?
- Quantity 1. Make your contribution as informative as is required 2. Do not make your contribution more informative than is required
- Quality 1. Do not say what you believe to be false 2. Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence - Relation - Be relevant
- Manner – be perspicuous 1. Avoid obscurity of expression 2. Avoid ambiguity 3. Be brief 4. Be orderly
what is flouting?
Flouting is the blatant non-observance of a maxim while still remaining cooperative
Standard implicatures
Requires the assumption that the speaker is doing their best to follow the cooperative principle, even though the result may not be optimum from the point of view of the addressee
what is Grice’s Cooperative Principle?
Make your contribution such as is required, at the stage at which it occurs, by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged.
Of the following performatives, which are explicit and which are implicit?
i) I’m going to kill you!
ii) You are forbidden to leave this seminar room!
iii) I apologise for calling my honourable friend a liar.
iv) Keep all medicines out of the reach of children
v) For god’s sake, eat your peas!
i) I’m going to kill you! (I)
ii) You are forbidden to leave this seminar room! (E)
iii) I apologise for calling my honourable friend a liar. (E)
iv) Keep all medicines out of the reach of children (I)
v) For god’s sake, eat your peas! (I)
change ‘clean up this mess’ into an explicit performative
I hereby order you to clean up this mess.
What appropriateness (felicity) conditions have not been fulfilled in the following utterances?
i) A priest baptises the wrong baby
ii) A bridegroom says the wrong words in his marriage ceremony (i.e. not those conventionally laid down at a marriage ceremony)
iii) A woman declares her love for her boyfriend with her fingers crossed behind her back
i) A priest baptises the wrong baby (participants)
ii) A bridegroom says the wrong words in his marriage ceremony (i.e. not those conventionally laid down at a marriage ceremony) (execution – the procedure hasn’t been executed correctly)
iii) A woman declares her love for her boyfriend with her fingers crossed behind her back (sincerity)
