The semantics and pragmatics of misrepresentation in English : a relevance-theoretic approach
This thesis deals with the nature of metarepresentation in language. It proposes linguistic-semantic and pragmatic analyses of a variety of metarepresentational expressions in English, using the framework of relevance theory (Sperber and Wilson 1986/1995). The main aim is to deepen the relevance-theoretic analysis of metarepresentation, to apply it to a range of data which have not been previously analysed in this framework, and to compare the resulting account with alternative semantic and pragmatic accounts. Chapter 1 looks at various types of quotation (including mention, reported speech and thought, and mixed quotation) and surveys some of the problems encountered by traditional and more recent alternative accounts; the chief problem being that they either do not acknowledge the range and variety of semantic indeterminacies in quotation, or do not provide an adequate account of how these indeterminacies are resolved during utterance comprehension. Chapter 2 introduces relevance theory and shows how the comprehension strategy it provides can be used to resolve the various indeterminacies in quotation. It also shows how the relevance-theoretic notion of metarepresentation (representation by resemblance)
Noh, Eun-Ju
Linguistics
The semantics and pragmatics of misrepresentation in English : a relevance-theoretic approach. This thesis deals with the nature of metarepresentation in language. It proposes linguistic-semantic and pragmatic analyses of a variety of metarepresentational expressions in English, using the framework of relevance theory (Sperber and Wilson 1986/1995). The main aim is to deepen the relevance-theoretic analysis of metarepresentation, to apply it to a range of data which have not been previously analysed in this framework, and to compare the resulting account with alternative semantic and pragmatic accounts. Chapter 1 looks at various types of quotation (including mention, reported speech and thought, and mixed quotation) and surveys some of the problems encountered by traditional and more recent alternative accounts; the chief problem being that they either do not acknowledge the range and variety of semantic indeterminacies in quotation, or do not provide an adequate account of how these indeterminacies are resolved during utterance comprehension. Chapter 2 introduces relevance theory and shows how the comprehension strategy it provides can be used to resolve the various indeterminacies in quotation. It also shows how the relevance-theoretic notion of metarepresentation (representation by resemblance)
semantics_pragmatic misrepresentation english relevance_theoretic approach deal nature language proposes linguistic semantic_pragmatic analysis variety expression english use framework relevance theory sperber_wilson main_aim deepen relevance_theoretic analysis apply range_data previously analyse framework compare result account alternative semantic_pragmatic account look_various type quotation include mention report speech thought mixed quotation survey problem_encounter traditional recent alternative_account chief problem either acknowledge range variety semantic indeterminacy quotation provide_adequate account indeterminacy resolve utterance comprehension introduces relevance_theory show comprehension strategy provide use resolve various indeterminacy quotation also_show relevance_theoretic notion representation resemblance