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Article published In: Pragmatics and Society
Vol. 16:1 (2025) ► pp.46–66

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Scalar implicature

An encyclopedic semantic approach

 | Shandong University
 | Shandong University
 | Zhejiang Gongshang University
Published online: 18 January 2024
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.22090.zha
Abstract
Scalar implicature is a very interesting topic in linguistic pragmatics. This study is intended to argue that, based on the Cognitive Grammar paradigm, scalar implicature is contextually activated by schematic networks. From a hierarchical perspective, those linguistic units sharing the same schema can be compared; from a horizontal perspective, these units are distributed from the stronger to the weaker in terms of semantic inclusion. The encyclopedic nature of context determines that using a weaker lexical item to implicate the denial of a stronger statement has become a cognitive routine which is presumed to be shared by the speaker and hearer. The study concludes that scalar implicature lies in between semantics and pragmatics.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The CG-based encyclopedic semantic approach
    • 2.1The relationship between semantics and pragmatics in CG
    • 2.2Encyclopedic semantics
  • 3.RSSI as a schematic network
  • 4.RSSI as a network of sister nodes
  • 5.Scalar implicature activated by a schematic network in a usage event
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (50)
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