126 References

glossary 127

which we use to connect the meanings of utterances, even when those connections are not explicitly made. [84]

commissive A speech act in which the speaker commits him or herself to some future action, e.g. a promise. See Table 6.1. [54]

constancy under negation Quality of the presupposition of a statement remaining true when the statement is negated. [26]

content conditions In order to count as a particular type of speech act, an utterance must contain certain features, e.g. a promise must be about a future event. [50]

context The physical environment in which a word is used: cf. co-text. [21]

contrastive pragmatics The study of culturally different ways of using language. [88]

conventional implicature An additional unstated meaning asso­ciated with the use of a specific word, e.g. 'A but B' implies a contrast between A and B, so 'contrast' is a conventional implicature of 'but'. [45]

conversational implicature An additional unstated meaning that has to be assumed in order to maintain the cooperative principle, e.g. if someone says 'The President is a mouse', something that is literally false, the hearer must assume the speaker means to convey more than is being said. [40]

conversational style Particular way of participating in conversa­tion. [76]

cooperative principle A basic assumption in conversation that each participant will attempt to contribute appropriately, at the required time, to the current exchange of talk. [37]

co-text The linguistic environment in which a word is used: cf. context. [21]

counterfactual presupposition The assumption that certain information is the opposite of true. [29]

cross-cultural pragmatics The study of different expectations among different communities regarding how meaning is con­structed. [87]

cultural schemata Pre-existing knowledge structures based on experience in a particular culture. [87]

declaration A speech act that brings about a change by being uttered, e.g. a judge pronouncing a sentence. See Table 6.1. [53]

128 Glossary

deference strategy Feature of interactive talk emphasizing nega­tive politeness, the non-personal, and freedom from imposition. [66]

deictic center The speaker's location/time. [9]

deictic expression See deixis. [9]

deictic projection Speakers acting as if they are somewhere else. [13]

deixis 'Pointing' via language, using a deictic expression, e.g. 'this', 'here'. [9]

directive A speech act used to get someone else to do something, e.g. an order. See Table 6.i. [54]

direct speech act Speech act where a direct relationship exists between the structure and communicative function of an utter­ance, e.g. using an interrogative form ('Can you ... ?') to ask a question ('Can you swim?'): cf. indirect speech act. [55]

discourse analysis The study of language use with reference to the social and psychological factors that influence communica­tion. [83]

dispreferred The structurally unexpected next utterance as a response, e.g. an invitation is normally followed by an accept­ance, so a refusal is dispreferred. [79]

distal Away from the speaker, e.g. 'that', 'there': cf. proximal. [9]

ellipsis The absence of a word or words from a structural slot.

[23] entailment Something that logically follows from what is

asserted. [25] essential condition In performing a speech act, a requirement

that the utterance commits the speaker to the act performed. [51] exclusive 'we' Addressee excluded: cf. inclusive 'we'. [11] existential presupposition An assumption that someone or

something, identified by use of a noun phrase, does exist. [27] explicit performative A speech act containing a performative verb:

cf. implicit performative. [52] expressive A speech act in which the speaker expresses feelings

or attitudes, e.g. an apology. See Table 6.i. [53]

face A person's public self-image. [60]

face saving act Utterance or action which avoids a potential threat to a person's public self-image. [61]

glossary 129

face threatening act Utterance or action which threatens a

person's public self-image. [61] face wants A person's expectations that their public self-image

will be respected. [61] factive presupposition The assumption that information stated

after certain words, e.g. 'know', 'regret', is true: cf. non-factive

presupposition. [27] felicity conditions The appropriate conditions for a speech act to

be recognized as intended. [50] first part The first utterance in an adjacency pair, e.g 'How are

you?' See also second part. [77]

floor The current right to speak in a conversation. [72] foreground entailment The main logical consequence of an

utterance. [33] frame A pre-existing knowledge structure with a fixed static

pattern. [86]

general conditions Preconditions on performing a speech act. [50] generalized conversational implicature An additional unstated

meaning that does not depend on special or local knowledge:

cf. conversational implicature. [41]

hedges Cautious notes expressed about how an utterance is to be taken, e.g. 'as far as I know' used when giving some informa­tion. [38]

high considerateness style A non-interrupting, non-imposing way of taking part in conversation. [76]

high involvement style An active, fast-paced, overlapping way of taking part in conversation. [76]

honorific Expression which marks that the addressee is of higher status. [10]

ideational function The use of language as a means of giving

structure to thought and experience. [83] Illocutionary Force Indicating Device (IFID) Indication in the

speaker's utterance of the communicative force of that utterance.

[49] illocutionary act or force The communicative force of an utterance.

[48]

implicature A short version of conversational implicature. [35] implicit performative A speech act without a performative verb: cf. explicit performative. [52]

inclusive 'we' Speaker and addressee included: cf. exclusive 'we'.

[11] indexicals Like deictic expressions, forms used for 'pointing' via

language. See deixis. [9] indirect speech act Speech act where an indirect relationship

exists between the structure and communicative function of an

utterance, e.g. the use of an interrogative ('Can you... ?') not to

ask a question, but to make a request ('Can you help me with

this?'): cf. direct speech act. [55] inference The listener's use of additional knowledge to make

sense of what is not explicit in an utterance. [17] insertion sequence A two part sequence that comes between

the first and second parts of another sequence in conversation.

[77] interlanguage pragmatics The study of how non-native speakers

communicate in a second language. [88] interpersonal function The use of language for maintaining

social roles and taking part in social interaction. [83]

lexical presupposition The assumption that, in using one word, the speaker can act as if another meaning (word) will be under­stood. [28]

local management system A metaphor for describing the con­ventions for organizing the right to speak in conversation. [72]

locutionary act The basic act of uttering a meaningful linguistic form. [48]

manner One of the maxims, in which the speaker is to be clear,

brief, and orderly. See Table 5.1. [39] maxim One of the four sub-principles of the cooperative principle.

See manner, quantity, quality, and relation. See also Table 5.1. [37] mitigating device Expression used to soften an imposition, e.g.

'please'. [63]

negative face The need to be independent, not imposed on by others: cf. positive face. [61]