Conventional Implicature

Understanding Conventional Implicature

Conventional implicature is a concept in pragmatics that describes the meaning conveyed by an utterance beyond its literal content. This suggested meaning is conventional, meaning it’s tied to the specific words or expressions used, rather than the context alone.

Key Concepts

Unlike conversational implicature, which depends heavily on context and Grice’s maxims, conventional implicature is part of the meaning of the words. It’s not detachable; if you change the words, you change the implicature.

• Conventionality: The implied meaning is associated with the linguistic form.
• Non-detachable: The implicature is tied to the specific expression.
• Not Truth-Conditional: The implicature does not affect the truth value of the sentence.

Deep Dive: How it Works

Consider the word ‘but’. When you say “She is thin, but strong,” the literal meaning is simply that she possesses both qualities. However, ‘but’ conventionally implies a contrast between the two qualities.

Another example is the word ‘therefore’. “It is raining; therefore, the ground is wet.” The literal meaning states two facts, but ‘therefore’ conventionally implies a causal or logical connection.

Applications in Language

Understanding conventional implicature helps us grasp subtle nuances in communication. It’s crucial for:

• Linguistic analysis: Differentiating between what is said and what is implied.
• Philosophy of language: Studying how meaning is generated and understood.
• Translation: Capturing the implied meaning across languages.

Challenges and Misconceptions

A common misconception is confusing conventional implicature with conversational implicature. While both involve implied meaning, conventional implicature is lexically encoded, whereas conversational implicature arises from the cooperative principle.

For instance, saying “He’s a genius” might conventionally imply admiration, but this is often context-dependent (conversational). However, the contrast implied by ‘but’ is a stable, conventional implicature.

FAQs

Q: Is conventional implicature always present?A: Yes, when the specific linguistic expression carrying the implicature is used.

Q: Can conventional implicature be cancelled?A: No, unlike conversational implicatures, conventional ones are not easily cancelled without sounding odd or contradictory.