1.6 | Notions
Notions of semantics and pragmatics
Semantics studies the signification (signification) of words and sentences, which is independent of the context in which they are used. Pragmatics examines the meaning (sens) conveyed by a speaker to a listener at a specific moment and within a particular context.
1.6.1 | Notions
Denotation and connotation
Denotation is the signification shared by speakers of a language, the meaning recorded in a language's dictionary. Connotation refers to the set of nuances that constitutes the meaning of a sign in a specific context, nuances that are not only individual and subjective, but also cultural and collectively shared by speakers of a language.
1.6.2 | Notions
The implicit : presuppositions, implication and implicatures
Presupposition is information that the co-speaker understands as self-evident, based on what is explicitly stated, without taking into account the context of the utterance. To grasp implication, pure linguistic competence is not sufficient: the implied meaning can only be understood by taking into account the context of the utterance. Implicature is a particular form of implication defined by the British philosopher H.P. Grice in his study of conversational exchanges.
1.6.3 | Notions
Speech acts
A speech act (or language act) is an utterance understood from the perspective of pragmatics. It was the British philosopher J. L. Austin who defined how to so things with words. His student, J. Searle, further developed this theory.