Figurative Language
Figurative Language
Figurative Language
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Flouting the maxims<br />
Dear Colleague:<br />
I am very pleased to be able to recommend Irving<br />
Smith to you. Mr. Smith is a model student. He<br />
dresses well and is extremely punctual. I have<br />
known Mr. Smith for three years now, and in every<br />
way I have found him to be most cooperative. His<br />
wife is charming.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
John Jones<br />
Professor<br />
Pragmatic Theory<br />
Can you get me a beer?<br />
Pragmatic Theory<br />
Pragmatic Theory<br />
We comprehend figurative language by first<br />
considering the literal meaning, then<br />
rejecting it (based on Gricean maxims)<br />
Searle (1975) outlines several stages…<br />
Searle’s stages<br />
Stage 1: Extract literal meaning<br />
Stage 2: Listener decides whether literal<br />
meaning is what was intended<br />
Stage 3: Compute an alternative meaning<br />
Pragmatic Theory<br />
Comprehending Metaphors<br />
Prediction: Literal meaning should be easier<br />
or faster to comprehend than figurative<br />
meaning<br />
“a child is a snowflake”<br />
topic<br />
vehicle<br />
ground = implied similarity between topic and vehicle<br />
4
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