language theory

Presupposition in Linguistics and Philosophy

A presupposition is an implicit assumption about the world or background belief relating to an utterance. It's something the speaker…

2 days ago

Prehesternal Past Tense

The prehesternal past tense refers to a hypothetical grammatical construct indicating an action completed before a specific, yet undefined, past…

2 days ago

Metrical Phonology

Metrical phonology is a linguistic theory that analyzes the rhythmic structure of speech. It models stress patterns, syllable prominence, and…

2 days ago

Illocutionary Denegation: Understanding Negative Speech Acts

Illocutionary denegation refers to the negation of the speech act itself, not just its propositional content. It's about denying the…

2 days ago

Illocutionary Consistency

Illocutionary consistency ensures that a speaker's intended action (like promising or warning) aligns with their utterance, maintaining sincerity and avoiding…

2 days ago

Illocutionary Act: Understanding the Force of Utterances

An illocutionary act is the speaker's intention or purpose in making an utterance, distinct from the literal meaning (locutionary) or…

2 days ago

Defective Illocutionary Act

A defective illocutionary act occurs when the intended force of an utterance is not successfully conveyed due to issues in…

2 days ago

Assertive Illocutionary Point

Assertive illocutionary points concern statements of fact or belief. They commit the speaker to the truth of the proposition expressed,…

2 days ago

Semantic Vagueness Explained

Semantic vagueness posits that ambiguity resides in language itself, not in reality or our understanding. It contrasts with rebus and…

4 days ago

Object Language Explained

An object language is the system or language under examination. It's distinct from the metalanguage, which is used to discuss…

4 days ago