14.1 Literal meaning vs. speaker meaning
4 min read•july 19, 2024
Words and sentences have two types of meaning: literal and speaker. is the fixed, conventional definition, while is the intended message in . Understanding both helps us grasp the full picture of communication.
Context plays a crucial role in interpreting speaker meaning. It includes factors like setting, relationships, and shared knowledge. These elements help listeners disambiguate expressions, identify referents, and recognize implied meanings beyond the literal interpretation.
Literal Meaning and Speaker Meaning
Literal vs speaker meaning
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- Literal meaning refers to the conventional, context-independent meaning of a word or sentence determined by the semantic properties of the language
- Derived from individual word meanings and how they are combined syntactically (grammatical structure)
- Remains constant across different contexts (stable and fixed)
- Example: "The cat is on the mat" literally means a feline animal is positioned on top of a flat piece of fabric or material
- Speaker meaning represents the intended meaning conveyed by the speaker in a specific context, which may differ from the literal meaning
- Depends on speaker's intentions, beliefs, and the context of the utterance (situational factors)
- Varies based on the particular circumstances and goals of the communication (flexible and dynamic)
- Example: "Can you pass the salt?" is literally a question about ability, but the speaker meaning is a polite request to hand them the salt shaker
Distinguishing meaning types
- Example 1: "It's cold in here"
- Literal meaning states the temperature in the room is low (objective description of the physical environment)
- Speaker meaning (context-dependent) could be:
- A request for someone to close the window or turn up the heat (indirect speech act)
- Expressing discomfort or dissatisfaction with the temperature (conveying personal feelings)
- Example 2: "I'm starving!"
- Literal meaning indicates the speaker is suffering from extreme hunger or starvation (severe physical condition)
- Speaker meaning (hyperbole) expresses that the speaker is very hungry but not actually starving (exaggeration for emphasis)
Context in speaker meaning
- Context includes various factors that influence the interpretation of speaker meaning:
- Physical setting of the conversation (location, time, environment)
- Relationship between the speaker and listener (social roles, power dynamics, familiarity)
- Shared knowledge and beliefs of the participants (common ground, cultural background)
- Preceding discourse and topic of conversation (what has been said before, the subject matter)
- Context helps listeners:
- Disambiguate ambiguous expressions (resolve multiple possible interpretations)
- Example: "I saw her duck" could mean either a bird or an action of lowering one's head, depending on the context
- Identify the intended referents of pronouns and demonstratives (determine what specific entities are being referred to)
- Example: "She told him to do it" requires context to know who "she," "him," and "it" refer to
- Recognize implicatures and indirect speech acts (infer implied meanings beyond the literal meaning)
- Example: "It's getting late" could be an indirect way of suggesting it's time to leave, depending on the context
- Determine the appropriate interpretation of (non-literal meanings)
- Example: "Time flies" is not literally about time having wings, but a for the perception of time passing quickly
- Disambiguate ambiguous expressions (resolve multiple possible interpretations)
Semantics-pragmatics boundary
- Semantics deals with the literal, context-independent meaning of words and sentences (stable, conventional meaning)
- Pragmatics focuses on how context and speaker intentions influence meaning (variable, context-dependent meaning)
- Challenges in drawing the boundary between semantics and pragmatics:
- Some aspects of meaning, such as presuppositions and conventional implicatures, exhibit properties of both semantics and pragmatics
- Presuppositions are background assumptions that must be true for a sentence to be meaningful, but they can also be canceled in certain contexts (pragmatic)
- Conventional implicatures are non-truth-conditional meanings associated with specific words (semantic), but they can also be context-dependent (pragmatic)
- The interpretation of certain expressions, such as indexicals (words like "I," "here," "now") and demonstratives ("this," "that"), relies on both semantic rules and contextual information
- Indexicals have a fixed semantic meaning (e.g., "I" refers to the speaker), but their referent changes based on the context of utterance
- The boundary between semantics and pragmatics may vary depending on the theoretical framework adopted by linguists
- Some aspects of meaning, such as presuppositions and conventional implicatures, exhibit properties of both semantics and pragmatics
- Possible approaches to the semantics-pragmatics interface:
- Strict separation views semantics and pragmatics as distinct, non-overlapping domains with a clear boundary
- Overlap approach suggests that some aspects of meaning belong to both semantics and pragmatics, with a fuzzy boundary
- Continuum perspective sees meaning as a gradient from purely semantic to purely pragmatic aspects, with no clear-cut boundary
Key Terms to Review (16)
Addressee: The addressee is the person or group to whom a message is directed in communication. This term plays a crucial role in distinguishing between literal meaning, which refers to the explicit content of a message, and speaker meaning, which encompasses the intended implications or context behind that message. Understanding the addressee's role helps clarify how meaning is shaped by social and contextual factors in communication.
Connotation: Connotation refers to the emotional or cultural associations that a word carries beyond its literal meaning. It plays a significant role in how language conveys subtle meanings and shapes our understanding of words in different contexts.
Context: Context refers to the circumstances, background, or setting in which communication occurs, influencing how meaning is understood. It shapes the interpretation of linguistic meaning and speaker intent, making it essential for grasping the nuances of communication and the distinctions between what is said and what is meant.
Contextual Meaning: Contextual meaning refers to the interpretation of a word, phrase, or sentence that is influenced by the surrounding context in which it is used. It emphasizes how meaning can shift based on situational factors, speaker intentions, and the relationship between participants in a conversation.
Denotation: Denotation refers to the literal or primary meaning of a word, phrase, or expression, as opposed to the meanings that can be derived from context or connotation. It is the explicit definition that you would find in a dictionary, serving as a foundational element in understanding language and communication.
Figurative language: Figurative language refers to the use of words and expressions that convey meanings beyond their literal interpretation. It enriches communication by employing techniques like metaphors, similes, and hyperbole to evoke imagery, emotions, and deeper understanding. This type of language plays a critical role in distinguishing literal meaning from speaker meaning, allowing for a more nuanced and expressive form of communication.
Grice's Maxims: Grice's Maxims are a set of conversational principles proposed by philosopher H.P. Grice, aimed at explaining how people communicate effectively and understand each other in conversation. These maxims, which include Quantity, Quality, Relation, and Manner, help to illuminate how conversational implicatures arise and how speakers often convey meaning beyond the literal interpretation of their words.
Illocutionary force: Illocutionary force refers to the intended meaning or function behind a speaker's utterance, going beyond the literal meaning of the words. It captures what the speaker aims to achieve with their statement, such as making a request, issuing a command, or expressing a belief. This concept is essential for understanding how communication operates in real-life contexts, where the meaning conveyed can differ significantly from the explicit wording.
Implicature: Implicature refers to the meaning that is suggested or implied in communication, rather than explicitly stated. It plays a crucial role in understanding how language functions in context, revealing how speakers convey additional information beyond the literal interpretation of their words.
Intention: Intention refers to the purpose or goal behind a speaker's utterance, indicating what they aim to convey or achieve through their words. This concept is essential in understanding the difference between literal meaning and speaker meaning, as it highlights how context and social cues shape the interpretation of communication beyond the mere words spoken.
Literal meaning: Literal meaning refers to the explicit, dictionary definition of a word or phrase, without any figurative or metaphorical implications. It forms the foundation for understanding language, connecting directly to how words combine to create meaning in context and how different interpretations may arise based on usage.
Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another, highlighting similarities between them. This concept plays a crucial role in understanding how we derive meaning from language, as it allows for more expressive and creative forms of communication. Metaphors can also relate to how words can have multiple meanings and shift depending on context, revealing layers of understanding beyond literal interpretation.
Presupposition: Presupposition refers to the implicit assumptions or background knowledge that must be accepted as true for a statement to make sense or be meaningful in a given context. This concept bridges the gap between semantics and pragmatics by illustrating how meaning can depend on context and shared knowledge, highlighting the interaction of language with social norms and expectations.
Situational Context: Situational context refers to the circumstances or background information surrounding a conversation or communicative act that influences how language is interpreted. It encompasses factors such as the physical setting, the identities and relationships of the speakers, their intentions, and the specific time and place of the interaction. Understanding situational context is essential for grasping nuances in communication, especially when analyzing how meaning shifts based on different contexts.
Speaker meaning: Speaker meaning refers to the specific intent or communicative purpose behind what a speaker conveys in a given context, which may differ from the literal meaning of their words. Understanding speaker meaning involves grasping how context influences the interpretation of language, highlighting nuances such as implied meanings and the intentions behind statements.
Speech Act Theory: Speech act theory is the study of how people use language to perform various actions rather than merely convey information. It connects to the broader understanding of meaning and context in communication, highlighting that utterances can not only represent states of affairs but also execute actions like promising, commanding, or questioning.