Chapter 13. Implicature and the inferential substrate
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Michael Haugh
Abstract
Implicatures are generally conceptualised as additional thoughts, beliefs, intentions and desires that are intended by the speaker to be recognised by the hearer as intended by the speaker. However, implicatures are not simply cognitive constructs, but in being accomplished by persons in interaction, are arguably social actions in their own right. In this chapter, it is proposed that a proper account of implicature needs to be developed with respect to the broader inferential substrate from which implicatures arise. It is suggested that while the inferables that make up this inferential substrate generally remain embedded, that is, where talk progresses without participants orienting to the action that is accomplished through the inferable as an object of interactional business, they may, on occasion, be exposed by those participants as the focus of interactional business in that sequence. It is then proposed that a range of practices license participants to expose an inferable (or set of inferables), including instances of “prompting”, where a speaker positions another participant to make a pre-emptive offer through reporting (possible) troubles, difficulties or needs. It is concluded that given through implicating participants can implicitly orient to both moral and relational concerns, our understanding of implicatures should not be divorced from the inferential substrate of interaction in which they are invariably locally situated.
Abstract
Implicatures are generally conceptualised as additional thoughts, beliefs, intentions and desires that are intended by the speaker to be recognised by the hearer as intended by the speaker. However, implicatures are not simply cognitive constructs, but in being accomplished by persons in interaction, are arguably social actions in their own right. In this chapter, it is proposed that a proper account of implicature needs to be developed with respect to the broader inferential substrate from which implicatures arise. It is suggested that while the inferables that make up this inferential substrate generally remain embedded, that is, where talk progresses without participants orienting to the action that is accomplished through the inferable as an object of interactional business, they may, on occasion, be exposed by those participants as the focus of interactional business in that sequence. It is then proposed that a range of practices license participants to expose an inferable (or set of inferables), including instances of “prompting”, where a speaker positions another participant to make a pre-emptive offer through reporting (possible) troubles, difficulties or needs. It is concluded that given through implicating participants can implicitly orient to both moral and relational concerns, our understanding of implicatures should not be divorced from the inferential substrate of interaction in which they are invariably locally situated.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Implicitness 1
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Part I. Word and phrase
- Chapter 2. What’s a reading? 15
- Chapter 3. Pronouns and implicature 37
- Chapter 4. Implicitness in the lexis 67
- Chapter 5. Zero subject anaphors and extralinguistically motivated subject pro -drop in Hungarian language use 95
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Part II. Sentence and utterance
- Chapter 6. Implicitness via overt untruthfulness 121
- Chapter 7. Lexical pragmatics and implicit communication 147
- Chapter 8. Indirect ritual offence 177
- Chapter 9. Implicitness in the use of situation-bound utterances 201
- Chapter 10. Thematic silence as a speech act 217
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Part III. Text and discourse
- Chapter 11. The dynamics of discourse 235
- Chapter 12. Why don’t you tell it explicitly? 259
- Chapter 13. Implicature and the inferential substrate 281
- Index 305
- Index 305
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Chapter 1. Implicitness 1
-
Part I. Word and phrase
- Chapter 2. What’s a reading? 15
- Chapter 3. Pronouns and implicature 37
- Chapter 4. Implicitness in the lexis 67
- Chapter 5. Zero subject anaphors and extralinguistically motivated subject pro -drop in Hungarian language use 95
-
Part II. Sentence and utterance
- Chapter 6. Implicitness via overt untruthfulness 121
- Chapter 7. Lexical pragmatics and implicit communication 147
- Chapter 8. Indirect ritual offence 177
- Chapter 9. Implicitness in the use of situation-bound utterances 201
- Chapter 10. Thematic silence as a speech act 217
-
Part III. Text and discourse
- Chapter 11. The dynamics of discourse 235
- Chapter 12. Why don’t you tell it explicitly? 259
- Chapter 13. Implicature and the inferential substrate 281
- Index 305
- Index 305
