4 Meaning in Context Free Online FlashCards

What does pragmatics study?

Pragmatics studies how speakers communicate and listeners interpret meaning in use.

What kinds of information make up context?

Context includes surrounding words and turns, the physical setting, participants’ relationships and roles, their knowledge and expectations, and relevant social or cultural conventions.

What is a locutionary act?

The locutionary act is producing an utterance with a particular linguistic content.

What is an implicature?

An implicature is meaning suggested or conveyed indirectly rather than explicitly stated.

What does “face” mean in one account of politeness?

Face is the socially valued self-image people seek to maintain.

What can speech styles signal about social relationships or identity?

Choices such as address forms, honorifics, dialect, register, and directness can signal respect, solidarity, distance, authority, or group belonging; their meanings depend on context.

What might “It’s cold in here” imply near an open window?

Depending on the setting and shared knowledge, it may also indirectly request that someone close a nearby open window. That request is an inference, not guaranteed by the sentence alone.

What is an illocutionary act?

The illocutionary act is the action performed in saying something, such as asserting, asking, promising, warning, or requesting.

What is a perlocutionary effect?

A perlocutionary effect is what an utterance brings about, such as persuading, reassuring, or prompting someone to act.

What is an indirect speech act?

An indirect speech act communicates an action without stating it in the most direct form. For example, “Could you pass the salt?” commonly functions as a request.

What may “I have a dentist appointment” imply when asked about a meeting?

When asked about attending a meeting, a person who says they have a dentist appointment may imply they will miss it, though they have not literally said “no.”

What are Grice’s four conversational guidelines?

Grice’s guidelines are quality (be truthful), quantity (be sufficiently informative), relation (be relevant), and manner (be clear).