14.3 Explicature and impliciture
3 min read•july 19, 2024
are crucial concepts in understanding how we interpret language. deals with the explicit meaning derived from linguistic expressions, while refers to the implicit meaning inferred from context and shared knowledge.
These concepts work together to convey the full meaning of an utterance. By examining how we decode linguistic content and draw inferences, we gain insight into the complex process of communication and the role of context in shaping our understanding.
Explicature and Impliciture in Pragmatic Inference
Explicature and impliciture definitions
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- Explicature refers to the explicit meaning of an utterance derived from the logical form encoded by the linguistic expressions used
- Obtained through a combination of decoding the linguistic content and making inferences based on contextual information
- Involves developing the logical form into a fully propositional form that can be evaluated as true or false (John ate the cake)
- Impliciture is the implicit meaning of an utterance that goes beyond what is explicitly stated
- Derived through pragmatic inference based on the context, speaker's intentions, and shared knowledge between the speaker and hearer
- Relies on the hearer's ability to draw inferences from the explicature and to arrive at the intended meaning (John is full)
Explicature vs impliciture examples
- Example 1: "It's cold in here"
- Explicature: The speaker is stating that the temperature in the current location is low
- Impliciture: The speaker is requesting the hearer to take action to make the room warmer (close the window, turn up the heat, provide a blanket)
- Example 2: "I have a deadline tomorrow"
- Explicature: The speaker is informing the hearer about an upcoming deadline they need to meet
- Impliciture: The speaker is implying they cannot attend a social event or take on additional tasks due to the time constraint imposed by the deadline
Identification of pragmatic inferences
- Steps to identify explicatures:
- Identify the linguistic expressions used in the utterance (words, phrases, sentences)
- Determine the logical form encoded by the expressions (semantic meaning)
- Enrich the logical form with reference assignment (he = John), disambiguation (bank = financial institution), and other pragmatic processes to arrive at the explicit meaning
- Steps to identify implicitures:
- Consider the context in which the utterance is made (setting, relationship between speakers, prior conversation)
- Identify the speaker's intentions and shared knowledge with the hearer (goals, beliefs, experiences)
- Draw inferences based on the explicature and contextual factors to derive the implicit meaning (speaker's request, implication, or suggestion)
Role in utterance interpretation
- Explicature and impliciture work together to convey the full meaning of an utterance
- Explicature provides the foundation of the explicit content, while impliciture builds upon it to convey the implicit meaning intended by the speaker
- Both are essential for successful communication and understanding the speaker's intentions beyond the of the words
- The hearer's role in interpreting explicatures and implicitures is active and inferential
- The hearer must decode the linguistic expressions and develop the logical form into an explicature using contextual information
- The hearer must also draw inferences based on context and shared knowledge to derive implicitures and fully understand the speaker's intended meaning
- Context plays a crucial role in deriving implicitures and interpreting the full meaning of an utterance
- Factors such as the relationship between the speaker and hearer (friends, colleagues, strangers), shared experiences (common background), and cultural norms (politeness, directness) influence the interpretation of implicitures
- The same utterance can have different implicitures depending on the context in which it is used (request, warning, sarcasm)
Key Terms to Review (16)
Contextual enrichment: Contextual enrichment refers to the process by which the meaning of an utterance is expanded or refined based on the context in which it is used. This phenomenon is crucial in understanding how implicatures and explicatures function in communication, as it allows speakers to convey more information than what is explicitly stated. Through contextual enrichment, listeners can fill in gaps, infer meanings, and derive deeper insights from what is being communicated.
Contextual factors: Contextual factors refer to the various elements in the environment or situation surrounding a communication event that influence how language is understood. These can include aspects like speaker and listener roles, shared knowledge, physical setting, and social dynamics, which all shape the meaning and interpretation of utterances. Understanding these factors is crucial for accurately analyzing language within formal semantic frameworks and grasping the nuances between explicature and impliciture.
Conventional implicature: Conventional implicature refers to the additional meaning that is conveyed by certain words or phrases in a sentence, independent of the context in which they are used. It differs from conversational implicature, as it relies on the conventional meanings associated with specific expressions rather than the cooperative principles of conversation. This type of implicature is essential for understanding how language can carry layered meanings and how those meanings interact with aspects like maxims and explicature.
Conversational implicature: Conversational implicature refers to the information that is suggested or implied in a conversation without being explicitly stated. This concept highlights how meaning can go beyond the literal interpretation of words, depending on context and shared knowledge between speakers, which makes it essential for understanding communication nuances.
Dan Sperber: Dan Sperber is a prominent anthropologist and philosopher known for his contributions to the fields of cognitive anthropology, semantics, and pragmatics. He is especially recognized for developing relevance theory, which focuses on how individuals derive meaning from communication based on the principles of relevance and the cognitive processes involved in interpretation.
Deixis: Deixis refers to words and phrases that cannot be fully understood without additional contextual information, particularly regarding the speaker, listener, and the situation of utterance. This concept is central in understanding how language functions in communication, highlighting the interplay between semantics and pragmatics, as well as how meaning shifts based on context and reference.
Explicature: Explicature refers to the process of enriching the literal meaning of an utterance with context-specific information that helps clarify its intended meaning. It plays a key role in understanding how listeners derive meaning from what is said, involving the integration of contextual clues and prior knowledge to form a more complete understanding of a message.
Explicature and Impliciture: Explicature refers to the explicit content of an utterance that is derived from the literal meaning of the words used, including any contextual information that clarifies the intended meaning. Impliciture, on the other hand, involves the implicit aspects of meaning that are inferred by listeners based on context, shared knowledge, and conversational norms. Together, these concepts highlight how communication often involves both what is directly stated and what is implied.
Grice's Maxims: Grice's Maxims are a set of conversational principles proposed by philosopher H.P. Grice, aimed at explaining how people communicate effectively and understand each other in conversation. These maxims, which include Quantity, Quality, Relation, and Manner, help to illuminate how conversational implicatures arise and how speakers often convey meaning beyond the literal interpretation of their words.
H.P. Grice: H.P. Grice was a British philosopher best known for his work in the field of language and communication, particularly for introducing the Cooperative Principle and the associated maxims that govern effective conversational exchange. His theories bridge semantics and pragmatics, emphasizing how speakers often imply meaning beyond the literal words they use, which connects to broader discussions about how meaning is constructed in social interactions.
Impliciture: Impliciture refers to the implied meanings or messages that go beyond the literal interpretation of a statement. It often relies on context and shared knowledge between the speaker and listener, leading to inferences that are not explicitly stated but understood within a conversation.
Inferred meaning: Inferred meaning refers to the interpretation that listeners or readers derive from a speaker's or writer's utterance, which goes beyond the literal meaning of the words used. This process involves using context, prior knowledge, and social cues to understand implied messages, which can enhance communication and add depth to interactions.
Literal meaning: Literal meaning refers to the explicit, dictionary definition of a word or phrase, without any figurative or metaphorical implications. It forms the foundation for understanding language, connecting directly to how words combine to create meaning in context and how different interpretations may arise based on usage.
Presupposition: Presupposition refers to the implicit assumptions or background knowledge that must be accepted as true for a statement to make sense or be meaningful in a given context. This concept bridges the gap between semantics and pragmatics by illustrating how meaning can depend on context and shared knowledge, highlighting the interaction of language with social norms and expectations.
Relevance Theory: Relevance Theory is a cognitive approach to understanding communication that emphasizes the importance of context and the mental processes involved in interpreting meaning. It suggests that human communication is guided by the search for relevance, where individuals make inferences based on the context and their prior knowledge to derive meaning from utterances. This approach challenges traditional views by prioritizing the role of cognitive processes over rigid maxims of conversation.
What is said: What is said refers to the explicit content of an utterance that is conveyed directly and literally, without needing further inference or context. It involves the specific meaning that can be derived from the words used, focusing on the linguistic expressions and their conventional meanings. Understanding what is said is essential for distinguishing it from implicature, which involves meanings that are implied rather than directly expressed.