The Explicit/Implicit Distinction in Pragmatics and the Limits of Explicit Communication
In: International Review of PragmaticsSearch for other papers by Robyn Carston in
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Abstract
This paper has two main parts. The first is a critical survey of ways in which the explicit/implicit distinction has been and is currently construed in linguistic pragmatics, which reaches the conclusion that the distinction is not to be equated with a semantics/pragmatics distinction but rather concerns a division within communicated contents (or speaker meaning). The second part homes in on one particular way of drawing such a pragmatically-based distinction, the explicature/implicature distinction in Relevance Theory. According to this account, processes of pragmatic enrichment play a major role in the recovery of explicit content and only some of these processes are linguistically triggered, others being entirely pragmatically motivated. I conclude with a brief consideration of the language-communication relation and the limits on explicitness.
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| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
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| Abstract Views | 2281 | 453 | 65 |
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The Explicit/Implicit Distinction in Pragmatics and the Limits of Explicit Communication
In: International Review of PragmaticsSearch for other papers by Robyn Carston in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
This paper has two main parts. The first is a critical survey of ways in which the explicit/implicit distinction has been and is currently construed in linguistic pragmatics, which reaches the conclusion that the distinction is not to be equated with a semantics/pragmatics distinction but rather concerns a division within communicated contents (or speaker meaning). The second part homes in on one particular way of drawing such a pragmatically-based distinction, the explicature/implicature distinction in Relevance Theory. According to this account, processes of pragmatic enrichment play a major role in the recovery of explicit content and only some of these processes are linguistically triggered, others being entirely pragmatically motivated. I conclude with a brief consideration of the language-communication relation and the limits on explicitness.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 2281 | 453 | 65 |
| Full Text Views | 801 | 117 | 6 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 1351 | 253 | 16 |