What is said

Definition

What is said refers to the explicit content of an utterance that is conveyed directly and literally, without needing further inference or context. It involves the specific meaning that can be derived from the words used, focusing on the linguistic expressions and their conventional meanings. Understanding what is said is essential for distinguishing it from implicature, which involves meanings that are implied rather than directly expressed.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. What is said can often be directly identified through the literal interpretation of words, while implicatures require additional reasoning.
2. Understanding what is said is crucial for effective communication, as it forms the foundation upon which implicatures and other meanings are built.
3. The distinction between what is said and implicature highlights the importance of context in understanding meaning in conversation.
4. In pragmatics, clarity about what is said helps to prevent misunderstandings and misinterpretations in dialogue.
5. Recognizing what is said can help in analyzing how language functions in different communicative situations, shedding light on speaker intentions and listener interpretations.

Review Questions

• How does understanding what is said contribute to distinguishing between explicature and implicature?
  • Understanding what is said lays the groundwork for differentiating explicature from implicature. What is said focuses on the literal meaning conveyed through words, while explicature enriches this meaning with contextual details. Implicature, on the other hand, involves meanings that go beyond the literal interpretation and rely on inference. By first grasping what is said, one can better identify how additional layers of meaning are constructed through explicatures or implied through implicatures.
• Discuss the significance of context in interpreting what is said during a conversation.
  • Context plays a crucial role in interpreting what is said as it provides the background information needed to understand the literal meaning of an utterance fully. Without context, the explicit content of speech may remain ambiguous or misleading. For example, a statement might have different implications depending on situational factors such as tone, setting, or previous exchanges. Recognizing this interdependence between context and literal meaning helps prevent misinterpretations and fosters effective communication.
• Evaluate how misinterpretations of what is said can impact overall communication effectiveness in social interactions.
  • Misinterpretations of what is said can lead to significant breakdowns in communication effectiveness by creating confusion or conflict among interlocutors. When individuals fail to accurately grasp the explicit meaning of an utterance, they may draw incorrect conclusions about intentions or feelings, leading to inappropriate responses. This evaluation highlights the importance of clarity in speech and the role of shared understanding in social interactions. In essence, being mindful of what is said—and ensuring mutual comprehension—can greatly enhance interpersonal relationships and dialogue quality.

Related terms

Explicature: Explicature is the process of deriving additional explicit meaning from an utterance by enriching it with contextual information, making it more specific and clear.

Implicature: Implicature refers to the meanings that are suggested or implied in a conversation but not explicitly stated, requiring listeners to infer them based on context and shared knowledge.

Context: Context includes all relevant information surrounding an utterance, such as situational factors, speaker intentions, and background knowledge, which help in interpreting what is said.