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Questions and Answers
What is the main focus of pragmatics in linguistics?
Which term describes the ability to understand another speaker's intended meaning?
Who first distinguished pragmatics as an independent subfield within semiotics, alongside syntax and semantics?
Which linguist's work contributed to the emergence of pragmatics as its own subfield in the 1950s?
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What did pragmatics react to in linguistics, as outlined by Ferdinand de Saussure?
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Study Notes
Focus of Pragmatics in Linguistics
- Pragmatics examines how context influences meaning in communication.
- It includes the study of implicature, speech acts, and the roles of speakers and listeners.
Understanding Intended Meaning
- The term "deixis" describes the ability to comprehend another speaker's intended meaning based on context.
Origins of Pragmatics as a Subfield
- Charles Morris first distinguished pragmatics as an independent subfield within semiotics, alongside syntax and semantics, highlighting its unique role in understanding meaning.
Contributions to Pragmatics in the 1950s
- The work of philosophers like J.L. Austin and John Searle during the 1950s significantly contributed to the establishment of pragmatics as a distinct field.
Reaction to Structuralism
- Pragmatics emerged in response to the limitations of structuralism as outlined by Ferdinand de Saussure, particularly regarding the separation of meaning from context in linguistic analysis.
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Description
Test your knowledge of how context contributes to meaning in human language and social interactions with this pragmatics quiz. Learn about the study of implicature, speech acts, relevance, and more.
