Discussion Details
| Title: | Re: 15.3283 Formula for Addressing Absent Reply |
| Submitter: | Sherri Condon |
| Description: | Re: Linguist 15.3283 (http://linguistlist.org/issues/15/15-3283.html)
I was struck by Jan Lindström's summary of formulaic responses that are produced when interlocutors fail to reply to greetings, questions, and other first pair-parts. The classification is nearly identical to one that I would use to discuss the preconditions of interaction (a la Searle) and the powerful pressure to conform to conventions for talk. When interlocutors fail to conform to pragmatic conventions, we tend to question whether the preconditions hold: are the physical channel and connections working so that messages can be transmitted? (''are you deaf?'') Are attentional processes monitoring the channel so that messages are not only transmitted, but also received? (''Earth to [name]'') Is basic cognitive competence functioning so that messages can be understood and responded to? Questions about the ability to speak (''cat got your tongue?'') are a great example of the latter that I hadn't thought of. I usually point out that failures to conform are exactly the kind of behavior that gets people labeled as ''nutcases'' or ''weirdos'' and their basic rationality questioned. If cognitive competence is assumed and behavior fails to conform to expectations, then social competence comes into question: this person is some kind of social misfit, as in the German ''well he doesn't know anyone any more either.'' Finally, if all these preconditions hold and someone is still not playing by the expected rules, then we are likely to entertain conversational implicatures, and these are probably loaded with negative affect, e.g. the silent treatment or the Persian ''I am also a human being.'' Thanks, Jan, and everyone who shared these data. Sherri Condon Sr. Artificial Intelligence Engineer The MITRE Corporation |
| Date Posted: | 26-Nov-2004 |
| Linguistic Field(s): | Pragmatics |
| LL Issue: | 15.3308 |
| Posted: | 26-Nov-2004 |
