On the strength of explicit and implicit verbal offences
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Agnieszka Piskorska
Abstract
This paper deals with the strength of verbal offence potentially experienced by recipients of offensive utterances, arguing that implicated offences may be perceived as stronger than those expressed explicitly. First, I explore the relationship between the linguistic form of an utterance, its interpretation and actually experiencing the perlocutionary effect of being hurt. Then I briefly discuss the various inferential processes postulated within Relevance Theory to account for the fact that the contextual interpretation of an utterance typically departs from the encoded linguistic meaning. Since such processes operate both on the level of explicature and implicatures, in the case of the former they may contribute to diluting the literally expressed insult, whereas in the case of the latter they often strengthen the effect on the addressee. The mechanism of “strong effect by means of weak implicatures” involves communicating an array of weak implicatures, which jointly evoke a strong impression. The point argued in this paper is complementary to the views expressed in (im)politeness studies, on which indeterminacy of implicatures lets the speaker avoid responsibility for potentially offensive content.
Abstract
This paper deals with the strength of verbal offence potentially experienced by recipients of offensive utterances, arguing that implicated offences may be perceived as stronger than those expressed explicitly. First, I explore the relationship between the linguistic form of an utterance, its interpretation and actually experiencing the perlocutionary effect of being hurt. Then I briefly discuss the various inferential processes postulated within Relevance Theory to account for the fact that the contextual interpretation of an utterance typically departs from the encoded linguistic meaning. Since such processes operate both on the level of explicature and implicatures, in the case of the former they may contribute to diluting the literally expressed insult, whereas in the case of the latter they often strengthen the effect on the addressee. The mechanism of “strong effect by means of weak implicatures” involves communicating an array of weak implicatures, which jointly evoke a strong impression. The point argued in this paper is complementary to the views expressed in (im)politeness studies, on which indeterminacy of implicatures lets the speaker avoid responsibility for potentially offensive content.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Inhalt V
- Einleitung: Sprachliche Aggression beschreiben, verstehen und erklären 1
-
Teil I: Zum Ausdruck verbaler Aggression
- Was sind aggressive Sprechakte? 35
- On the strength of explicit and implicit verbal offences 51
- The offensiveness of animal metaphors 73
- Aggression in Banter 89
- Aggressiv oder supportiv? 123
- Offene und versteckte Aggression im Gebrauch von Dysphemismen und Euphemismen 145
-
Teil II: Verbale Aggression in Praxisfeldern
- Kommunikative Gewalt in der Psychotherapie 171
- Ist Fehlerkorrektur im Fremdsprachenunterricht ein aggressives Verhalten? 209
- „Von Ihrer Bewerbung können wir keinen Gebrauch machen“ 219
-
Teil III: Hassrede und Ideologie
- Zur Multi-Akt-Semantik der Ethnophaulismen 245
- Kulturhistorische Blicke auf die Sprache des Dritten Reiches und die antisemitische Hassrede 269
- „Um den Schädling zu vernichten” 289
- Implizite Aggression in Onlinekommentaren anlässlich der Debatte um rassistische Sprache in Kinderbüchern 305
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Teil IV: Inszenierungen verbaler Aggression
- „Doing aggressive 2.0“ 331
- The leader’s voice and communicative aggression in social media 357
- Politische Clowns in Klartext-Manier: Expressivität und Aggressivität in Zeiten transnationaler Öffentlichkeit 377
- Verbale Aggression in parlamentarischen Debatten 401
- Verbale Aggression im Realsozialismus und ihre Literarisierung 425
- Inszenierte Aggression in poetischer Sprache 447
- Autorinnen und Autoren 471
- Namen- und Sachregister 479
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- Inhalt V
- Einleitung: Sprachliche Aggression beschreiben, verstehen und erklären 1
-
Teil I: Zum Ausdruck verbaler Aggression
- Was sind aggressive Sprechakte? 35
- On the strength of explicit and implicit verbal offences 51
- The offensiveness of animal metaphors 73
- Aggression in Banter 89
- Aggressiv oder supportiv? 123
- Offene und versteckte Aggression im Gebrauch von Dysphemismen und Euphemismen 145
-
Teil II: Verbale Aggression in Praxisfeldern
- Kommunikative Gewalt in der Psychotherapie 171
- Ist Fehlerkorrektur im Fremdsprachenunterricht ein aggressives Verhalten? 209
- „Von Ihrer Bewerbung können wir keinen Gebrauch machen“ 219
-
Teil III: Hassrede und Ideologie
- Zur Multi-Akt-Semantik der Ethnophaulismen 245
- Kulturhistorische Blicke auf die Sprache des Dritten Reiches und die antisemitische Hassrede 269
- „Um den Schädling zu vernichten” 289
- Implizite Aggression in Onlinekommentaren anlässlich der Debatte um rassistische Sprache in Kinderbüchern 305
-
Teil IV: Inszenierungen verbaler Aggression
- „Doing aggressive 2.0“ 331
- The leader’s voice and communicative aggression in social media 357
- Politische Clowns in Klartext-Manier: Expressivität und Aggressivität in Zeiten transnationaler Öffentlichkeit 377
- Verbale Aggression in parlamentarischen Debatten 401
- Verbale Aggression im Realsozialismus und ihre Literarisierung 425
- Inszenierte Aggression in poetischer Sprache 447
- Autorinnen und Autoren 471
- Namen- und Sachregister 479
