What is Pragmatics?
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the concept of pragmatics in linguistics, exploring how language goes beyond its structural components to convey meaning in context. It discusses the interpretation of phrases like 'son of a' as insults not due to their literal meanings but through extra-linguistic knowledge. The script explains how we understand language through both intra-linguistic (linguistic context) and extra-linguistic (situational context) knowledge, highlighting the importance of pragmatic confidence in language use. It also touches on pragmatic particles and the role of context in interpreting meaning, using the example of a homeless person asking for spare change.
Takeaways
- 📚 The script discusses the concept of language interpretation beyond its literal meaning, focusing on the phrase 'son of a' as an example of an insult that doesn't derive from the individual words themselves.
- 🔍 It introduces the idea that language has different levels of function, from phonemes to discourse, and that understanding the meaning of phrases like 'son of a' requires looking beyond these levels.
- 🎓 Pragmatics is highlighted as the branch of linguistics that deals with the practical aspects of language, including the extra-linguistic knowledge that influences how we interpret and convey meaning.
- 🌐 The script explains that language functions in two types of context: intra-linguistic (linguistic context) and extra-linguistic (situational context), both of which are crucial for understanding phrases like 'son of a'.
- 🤔 The importance of 'pragmatic confidence' is emphasized, which is the ability to deal with context within language structure and is necessary for effective communication.
- 🗣️ The role of pragmatic particles, such as 'uh', 'I mean', and 'sort of', is mentioned as a way to control the pragmatic nature of linguistic interaction.
- 💬 The script uses an example of a conversation between Al and Bob to illustrate how understanding can be achieved even when certain words or grammatical elements are omitted due to pragmatics.
- 👂 It points out that we can understand language even when it's used in a non-standard way, such as dropping verbs or pronouns, because of our extra-linguistic knowledge.
- 🧐 The video script touches on the concept that the meaning of a sentence can be influenced by the situational context, as demonstrated by the interaction with a homeless person asking for spare change.
- 🤝 Pragmatics is described as an area that intersects with semantics, sociolinguistics, and the extra-linguistic context, making it a complex and multifaceted aspect of language study.
- 📈 The script positions pragmatics as a modern linguistic concept that has evolved from being one of the three branches of semiotics to a more user-centric study of language in social interaction.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video script?
-The main topic of the video script is the concept of pragmatics in linguistics, which deals with the practical aspects of language use and interpretation beyond the linguistic structure.
Why is the phrase 'son of a' typically considered an insult even though the individual words do not inherently have an insulting element?
-The phrase 'son of a' is considered an insult due to the social and contextual interpretation that has been assigned to it over time, which is an example of pragmatics at work.
What are the minimal units of sound and meaning in language according to the script?
-The minimal units of sound in language are phonemes, and the minimal units of meaning are morphemes.
How do phonemes and morphemes relate to each other in the structure of language?
-Phonemes combine to form morphemes, which are then combined to create words. These words are further combined to form phrases, sentences, and larger units of language such as discourse.
What is the role of discourse analysis in linguistics?
-Discourse analysis is a branch of linguistics dedicated to the study of language beyond the sentence level, focusing on the way language functions in larger units of communication.
What is the difference between intra-linguistic and extra-linguistic knowledge in the context of language use?
-Intra-linguistic knowledge refers to the understanding of language structure and discourse, while extra-linguistic knowledge involves the understanding of the world and social context that aids in the interpretation and use of language.
Why is it possible to understand a conversation even if some words or grammatical elements are missing?
-We can understand such conversations due to our extra-linguistic knowledge and pragmatics, which allow us to infer meaning from the context and the situational cues, even when certain words are omitted.
What is meant by 'pragmatic confidence' in the context of language use?
-Pragmatic confidence refers to an individual's ability to effectively use and understand language by dealing with the context and social cues that are formally encoded outside the linguistic structure.
How does the concept of pragmatics help in understanding the meaning of a sentence beyond its literal interpretation?
-Pragmatics helps in understanding the intended meaning of a sentence by taking into account the situational context, social norms, and the speaker's intentions, which may not be explicitly stated in the sentence itself.
What are 'pragmatic particles' and how do they function in language?
-Pragmatic particles are words or phrases such as 'uh', 'I mean', or 'sort of' that are used in speech to control the pragmatic nature of linguistic interaction, often to convey tone, hesitation, or to soften a statement.
Can you provide an example from the script where pragmatics is used to interpret a sentence in a non-literal way?
-An example from the script is when a homeless person asks for 'spare change'. The listener interprets this as a request for money due to the pragmatic understanding of the situation, rather than a literal inquiry about the contents of their pocket.
Outlines
🗣️ Pragmatics in Language Interpretation
This paragraph discusses the concept of pragmatics in linguistics, which deals with the practical aspects of language beyond its structural components. It explains how phrases that do not inherently contain insulting elements can be interpreted as insults based on extra-linguistic knowledge. The speaker introduces the idea that language functions at various levels, from phonemes to discourse, and emphasizes the importance of combining linguistic knowledge with situational context to understand and convey meaning. The paragraph also touches on the role of discourse analysis in understanding language use and the concept of 'pragmatic confidence' as an essential part of language comprehension and usage.
🤔 Pragmatics and Everyday Language Use
The second paragraph delves into the practical application of pragmatics in everyday language use. It illustrates how understanding the situational context is crucial for interpreting the intended meaning of utterances, as demonstrated by a brief conversation between two individuals discussing plans for the evening. The paragraph also explains the role of pragmatics in interpreting indirect speech acts, such as a homeless person asking for spare change, which is understood as a request for money rather than a literal inquiry about one's possessions. The speaker highlights the importance of pragmatic confidence in navigating the social and contextual aspects of language, and mentions 'pragmatic particles' as a linguistic tool that influences the pragmatic nature of communication.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Insult
💡Phonemes
💡Morphemes
💡Discourse
💡Pragmatics
💡Intra-linguistic Context
💡Situational Context
💡Semantics
💡Syntactics
💡Pragmatic Particles
💡Linguistic Confidence
Highlights
The phrase 'son of a' is not inherently insulting, yet it's universally understood as such due to extra-linguistic factors.
Language is composed of phonemes, morphemes, words, phrases, sentences, and discourse.
Discourse analysis is a branch of linguistics focusing on the analysis of language beyond the sentence.
Pragmatics is the study of language from the user's point of view, focusing on the practical use of language.
Language interpretation relies on both linguistic and extra-linguistic knowledge, known as situational context.
Understanding language involves engaging with both intra-linguistic (linguistic context) and extra-linguistic (situational context).
Pragmatics helps explain how brief, incomplete sentences can still convey complete meanings.
The concept of 'pragmatic confidence' is crucial for understanding and using language effectively.
Pragmatic particles, such as 'uh', 'I mean', and 'sort of', are used to control the pragmatic nature of linguistic interaction.
The interpretation of a homeless person asking for 'spare change' as a request for money is an example of pragmatics in action.
Pragmatics bridges the gap between semantics, sociolinguistics, and the extra-linguistic context.
The video discusses how language functions at different levels, from phonemes to discourse.
The process of interpreting a phrase as an insult involves more than just the linguistic structure.
The understanding of language is not solely based on its structure but also on extra-linguistic knowledge.
The video explains the importance of situational context in language interpretation and communication.
Pragmatics is defined as the study of language from the user's perspective, focusing on choices, constraints, and effects in social interaction.
The video uses the example of a conversation to illustrate how pragmatics helps us understand implied meanings.
The concept of 'linguistic confidence' is expanded to include 'pragmatic confidence', which deals with context within language structure.
Transcripts
[Music]
foreign
[Music]
if I say that that's not polite it's
considered to be an insult and it is
almost always you could say always
because the words in this noun phrase if
you take them separately son of a
even has a technical meaning which
is a female dog but then when we say son
of a we don't interpret it as the
male offspring of a female dog we
interpret it automatically and
immediately as an insult
but have you ever thought what is the
process that goes into this
interpretation how is it that we have a
set of words none of which necessarily
have an insulting element in them but we
use the entire phrase to as an insult
if you have been following my videos
especially if you go back and watch the
videos about phonology and the way
language functions at different levels
we already know that language consists
of minimal units of sound which are
phonemes and minimal units of meaning
which are called morphemes so basically
phonemes combine to form morphemes and
morphemes combine to form words and
words are combined to form phrases and
sentences
but there is another level beyond that
we combine sentences to form bigger
units of language which are called
discourse so language goes all the way
from phonemes to discourse
and there is actually a branch of
linguistics which is dedicated entirely
to the analysis of discourse and
surprise surprise is called discourse
analysis
therefore language functions at a
mechanical they could say linguistic
level starting from phonemes and going
all the way up to discourse but again at
none of these levels the phrase son of a
should be interpreted as an insult
unless there is something else beyond
that linguistic interpretation or
linguistic structure and that's the
topic of today's video which is on
pragmatics so you see what we're doing
here there is something practical about
language which is not entirely about the
mechanics inside the language that is in
a way part of the way we interpret and
convey meaning in language
it's kind of funny because it is
language that we're using to communicate
but that knowledge is not in the
structure of the language it is outside
the language in other words it is extra
linguistic extra meaning outside so
there is this extra linguistic knowledge
that we have but it goes along with our
linguistic knowledge that enables us to
interpret these phrases for example as
an insult
in a way if you want to understand this
I can put it in these words when we use
language we engage in two kinds of
context
one is what is inside language
intra-linguistic which is called the
linguistic context or it is the
discourse that we engage in
and then there is the knowledge about
the world the knowledge outside language
the extra linguistic knowledge that
enables us to make use of language the
way we do and that is called the
situational context
foreign
[Music]
you can understand them even if they
drop verbs if they don't mention the
direct object if they drop the pronouns
if they speak telegraphically we still
understand each other this is possible
because not just because we know how to
combine rules of grammar and discourse
but it is also about the knowledge
outside language
Al and Bob are having a conversation
short conversation at that coming down
to the pub tonight I've got to finish a
piece of work
how does this conversation make sense if
you just stick to every word that is
actually mentioned without referring to
words that are not mentioned obviously
we don't think there's something wrong
with this brief conversation because we
understand we infer that what Bob is
saying that he has some work to do
therefore he doesn't have time to go to
the pub tonight he's not free to go to
the public
this explanation and interpretation of
this short conversation is possible
because of pragmatics in other words
knowledge of the aspects of meaning that
are dependent on the situational context
here there's something Beyond these
words
[Music]
traditionally pragmatics along with
semantics and syntactics was considered
to be one of the three branches of
semiotics however in modern Linguistics
pragmatics is a term applied to the
study of language from the user's point
of view pragmatics is about the choices
in language use one makes the
constraints one faces in using language
and social interaction and the effects
one's use of language has on the other
participants during communication
pragmatics is an area that is somewhere
in between semantics
sociolinguistics and the context outside
language that is the extra linguistic
context
is not always easy to draw a line
between these different domains though
[Music]
we had linguistic confidence in
chomsky's model of language here you can
add to that pragmatic confidence
in other words linguistic confidence
alone is not enough to use or understand
language you need pragmatic confidence
as well because pragmatic confidence is
your ability to deal with formally
encoded aspects of context in the
structure of language and question
there are certain terms used in
pragmatics for example there's a term
called pragmatic particles which
explains the use of words such as uh I
mean sort of these words are commonly
used in speech and control their
pragmatic nature of linguistic
interaction
[Music]
[Music]
when you're walking on the street you're
going into the subway and a homeless
person asks you do you have any spare
change
you don't interpret that as a technical
question about your what you actually
have in your in your pocket you don't
interpret it as a fiduciary inquiry you
interpret it as a request for money on
the part of the home homeless person and
the way you understand this sentence
which is the meaning he intends to
convey using that sentence is possible
because of pragmatics you know this is a
homeless person you know about his a
standing in society and in the broader
world and then when he says that to you
you interpret it as a request
such things can be explained only using
pragmatics
[Music]
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