Podcast
Questions and Answers
What characteristic must a hypothesis possess to be considered falsifiable?
What characteristic must a hypothesis possess to be considered falsifiable?
- It can be proven true without evidence.
- It must always be true in every instance.
- It can be tested with a definite answer. (correct)
- It is based solely on personal beliefs.
Which of the following claims is falsifiable?
Which of the following claims is falsifiable?
- A discourse typically begins with a greeting.
- Most discourses begin with a greeting.
- A discourse always begins with a greeting. (correct)
- A discourse sometimes begins with a greeting.
Why is the claim 'A discourse typically begins with a greeting' considered unfalsifiable?
Why is the claim 'A discourse typically begins with a greeting' considered unfalsifiable?
- It cannot be observed in real contexts.
- The term 'typically' is vague and allows for exceptions. (correct)
- It is too specific to be tested.
- It conflicts with established theories.
What is required for a claim to be considered empirical?
What is required for a claim to be considered empirical?
What aspect makes a claim scientifically interesting?
What aspect makes a claim scientifically interesting?
What kind of claim does not qualify as empirical?
What kind of claim does not qualify as empirical?
Which of the following describes a predictive claim?
Which of the following describes a predictive claim?
In scientific research, what is emphasized for a hypothesis to be deemed valuable?
In scientific research, what is emphasized for a hypothesis to be deemed valuable?
What is one defining property of pragmatics?
What is one defining property of pragmatics?
Which statement best describes the relationship between form and meaning in linguistics?
Which statement best describes the relationship between form and meaning in linguistics?
What does 'not truth-conditional' imply in the context of pragmatics?
What does 'not truth-conditional' imply in the context of pragmatics?
Why do linguists debate the definitions of semantics and pragmatics?
Why do linguists debate the definitions of semantics and pragmatics?
In the example 'There’s one piece of pizza left', what affects the truth of the statement?
In the example 'There’s one piece of pizza left', what affects the truth of the statement?
What is a prototypical case of pragmatic meaning?
What is a prototypical case of pragmatic meaning?
What does 'inferential' mean in the context of pragmatics?
What does 'inferential' mean in the context of pragmatics?
In linguistics, what does morphology study?
In linguistics, what does morphology study?
What semantic feature is specifically assigned to the term 'sow' in the provided table?
What semantic feature is specifically assigned to the term 'sow' in the provided table?
What problem does componential semantics illustrate regarding lexical items?
What problem does componential semantics illustrate regarding lexical items?
Which of the following examples illustrates a lexicalized form for the adult female of a species?
Which of the following examples illustrates a lexicalized form for the adult female of a species?
According to the discussion about sandwiches, what unique instance complicated the definition?
According to the discussion about sandwiches, what unique instance complicated the definition?
What concept offers an alternative to componential semantics for dealing with definitional issues?
What concept offers an alternative to componential semantics for dealing with definitional issues?
What was the outcome of the Massachusetts judge's ruling regarding the classification of a burrito?
What was the outcome of the Massachusetts judge's ruling regarding the classification of a burrito?
Which term indicates an adult female human according to the provided semantic features?
Which term indicates an adult female human according to the provided semantic features?
What aspect of lexical items makes defining them difficult in componential semantics?
What aspect of lexical items makes defining them difficult in componential semantics?
What advantage does using corpus data offer researchers?
What advantage does using corpus data offer researchers?
Which of the following is a drawback of using corpus data?
Which of the following is a drawback of using corpus data?
Why is it important to choose an appropriate data sample in corpus studies?
Why is it important to choose an appropriate data sample in corpus studies?
Which issue may arise when using only written corpus data?
Which issue may arise when using only written corpus data?
What can performance errors in corpus data include?
What can performance errors in corpus data include?
What recommendation is suggested to mitigate the impact of performance errors in corpus studies?
What recommendation is suggested to mitigate the impact of performance errors in corpus studies?
Why are intuitions considered unreliable in pragmatic research?
Why are intuitions considered unreliable in pragmatic research?
What aspect of language use is particularly important for researchers in pragmatics?
What aspect of language use is particularly important for researchers in pragmatics?
What type of logic involves drawing necessarily valid inferences from a set of propositions?
What type of logic involves drawing necessarily valid inferences from a set of propositions?
In formal logic, what do we call the propositions from which a conclusion is drawn?
In formal logic, what do we call the propositions from which a conclusion is drawn?
What is true about the conclusion in deductive reasoning?
What is true about the conclusion in deductive reasoning?
What distinguishes inductive logic from deductive logic?
What distinguishes inductive logic from deductive logic?
What is an essential characteristic of deductive inferences?
What is an essential characteristic of deductive inferences?
Which of the following is an example of inductive reasoning?
Which of the following is an example of inductive reasoning?
What is necessary for an inference to be considered valid in deductive logic?
What is necessary for an inference to be considered valid in deductive logic?
What is a common use of inductive logic in the scientific method?
What is a common use of inductive logic in the scientific method?
Flashcards
Pragmatics
Pragmatics
The study of non-literal meaning in context, based on inference and not truth-conditional logic.
Semantics vs. Pragmatics
Semantics vs. Pragmatics
The division between literal meaning (semantics) and implied meaning (pragmatics) is debated among linguists, as some consider truth-affecting meaning as semantic while others see it as pragmatic.
"This Clause" Example
"This Clause" Example
The same phrase, "this clause", can refer to different clauses in different contexts, demonstrating how meaning depends on the surrounding context.
Levels of Language
Levels of Language
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Pragmatics within Linguistics
Pragmatics within Linguistics
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Corpus Data in Pragmatics
Corpus Data in Pragmatics
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Benefits and Challenges of Corpus Data
Benefits and Challenges of Corpus Data
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Performance Errors in Corpus Data
Performance Errors in Corpus Data
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Intuitions in Pragmatic Research
Intuitions in Pragmatic Research
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Falsifiable and Predictive Claims
Falsifiable and Predictive Claims
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Componential Semantics
Componential Semantics
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Fuzzy Sets and Semantics
Fuzzy Sets and Semantics
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Formal Logic and Truth Conditions
Formal Logic and Truth Conditions
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Deductive Logic
Deductive Logic
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Inductive Logic
Inductive Logic
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Inductive Logic in Science
Inductive Logic in Science
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Study Notes
Pragmatics
- Pragmatics is the study of meaning that is non-literal, context-dependent, inferential, and/or not truth-conditional.
- The boundary between semantics and pragmatics is debated among linguists, as some argue that meaning affecting truth is semantic, while others see it as pragmatic.
- The phrase "this clause" can refer to different clauses in different contexts, highlighting the importance of pragmatics in understanding meaning.
Situating Pragmatics within Linguistics
- Linguistics explores different levels of language units: phonetics (speech sounds), phonology (sound patterns), morphology (word structure), and syntax (sentence structure).
- Pragmatics focuses on how these levels interact with meaning in real-world communication.
Corpus Data in Pragmatic Research
- Corpus data, a collection of naturally produced language samples, is helpful for studying pragmatics, as it provides a rich source of real-world linguistic data.
- Corpus data allows researchers to avoid the observer's paradox and the challenges of eliciting specific linguistic forms, but it requires careful selection of samples to avoid skewed results.
- Corpus data may contain performance errors, which researchers must consider while interpreting results.
Issues in Pragmatic Research
- Intuitions are often unreliable in pragmatic research, emphasizing the need for studies based on naturally occurring data.
- Hypothetical claims in pragmatics should be falsifiable and predictive, meaning they should be testable for truth or falsity and generalize to a broader class of language use.
Componential Semantics
- Componential semantics attempts to analyze meanings in terms of features, but this approach faces challenges in defining the relevant features and applying it to complex lexical items like "sandwich."
Fuzzy Sets and Semantics
- Fuzzy sets offer an alternative to componential semantics for dealing with the ambiguity and vagueness of meaning, particularly with concepts like "sandwich," where the boundaries are not always clear-cut.
Formal Logic and Truth Conditions
- Formal logic analyses truth conditions of propositions through deductive and inductive reasoning.
- Deductive logic deals with valid inferences that guarantee the conclusion if the premises are true.
- Inductive logic deals with inferences that are likely but not necessarily true, based on probability.
- Scientific experiments often involve inductive reasoning, focusing on hypotheses that are likely but not guaranteed.
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