Cover not available

Article published In: Applying Embodied Cognition and Cognitive Linguistics to language teaching:
Edited by Paolo Della Putta and Ferran Suñer
[Review of Cognitive Linguistics 21:1] 2023
► pp. 210–228

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF
EPUB logo with download linkDownload EPUB
authorization required
Regular articles

A multidimensional approach to echoing

Categories, uses, and types

 | Universitat Politècnica de València
Published online: 2 February 2023
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/rcl.00132.loz
Abstract
Stemming from the use-mention distinction by the philosophy of language, Relevance Theory introduces the notion of echo in the context of the echoic mention theory of irony (cf. Wilson & Sperber, 2012). Since then, echoing has awakened multidisciplinary interest, mostly in connection to this figure of thought. Studies on echoing have provided a largely one-dimensional approach. Within cognitive modeling studies, echoing is elevated to the status of cognitive operation. Taking cognitive modeling as a starting point, the aim of the present article is to study echoing from a multidimensional perspective, focusing on its features, functions, and usages. Specifically, the present study addresses echoic implicitness, completeness, complexity, accuracy, and non-ironic echoes (i.e., parodic echoes, denotational and non-denotational echoes). All in all, this study introduces a higher degree of systematicity in the study of echoing in general and endows echo-based studies of irony with greater explanatory adequacy.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Some remarks on echoing
  • 3.A brief methodological note
  • 4.A multidimensional analysis of echoing
    • 4.1Implicitness
    • 4.2Completeness
    • 4.3Complexity
      • 4.3.1Compounded echoes
      • 4.3.2Cumulative echoes
      • 4.3.3Echoic chains
    • 4.4Accuracy
    • 4.5Non-ironic echoes
      • 4.5.1Parodic echoes
      • 4.5.2Denotational and non-denotational echoes
  • 5.Conclusions
  • References
References (22)
References
Bussmann, H. (1996). Routledge dictionary of language and linguistics. Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Clark, H. H., & R. J. Gerrig. (1984). On the pretense theory of irony. i, 11, 121–126. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Davidson, D. (1979). Quotation. Theory and Decision, 111, 27–40. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Goldberg, A. (2002). Surface generalizations: An alternative to alternations. Cognitive Linguistics, 13(4), 237–356. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gibbs, R. (1986). On the psycholinguistics of sarcasm. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 115(1), 3–15. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Grice, H. P. (1975). Logic and conversation. In Cole, P., & Morgan, J. L. (Eds.), Syntax and semantics: Speech acts (pp. 41–58). New York: Academic Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Leech, G. N. (1969). A linguistic guide to English poetry. London & New York: Longman.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lozano-Palacio, I. (2019). Irony in linguistics and literary theory: Towards a synthetic approach. Miscelánea: A journal of English and American Studies, 601, 95–115. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lozano-Palacio, I., & Ruiz de Mendoza, F. J. (2022). Modeling irony. A cognitive-pragmatic account. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Popa-Wyatt, M. (2014). Pretence and echo: Towards and integrated account of verbal irony. International Review of Pragmatics, 6(1), 127–168. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rossen-Knill, D. F., & Henry, R. (1997). The pragmatics of verbal parody. Journal of Pragmatics, 271, 719–752. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ruiz de Mendoza, F. J., & Barreras, M. A. (2022). Linguistic and metalinguistic resemblance. In A. Bagasheva, B. Hristov & N. Tincheva (Eds.), Figurativity in life and science. Amsterdam & Philadephia: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ruiz de Mendoza, F. J. (2017). Cognitive modeling and irony. In H. Colson, & A. Athanasiadou (Eds.), Irony in language use and communication (pp. 179–200). Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ruiz de Mendoza, F. J., & Galera, A. (2014). Cognitive modeling. A linguistic perspective. Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ruiz de Mendoza, F. J., & Lozano-Palacio, I. (2019a). Unraveling irony: From linguistics to literary criticism and back. Cognitive Semantics, 51, 147–173. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2019b). A cognitive-linguistic approach to complexity in irony: Dissecting the ironic echo. Metaphor and Symbol, 34(2), 127–138. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2021). On verbal and situational irony: towards a unified approach. In A. Soares da Silva (Ed.), Figures: intersubjectivity and usage (pp. 213–240). Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Seto, K. (1998). On non-echoic irony. In R. Carston & S. Uchida (Eds.), Relevance Theory (pp. 239–256). Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sperber, D., & Wilson, D. (1981). Irony and the use-mention distinction. In P. Cole (Ed.), Radical pragmatics (pp. 295–318). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(1995). Relevance. Communication and cognition. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Watson, W. G. E. (1986). Classical Hebrew poetry: A guide to its techniques. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (2)

Cited by two other publications

Errami Fennane, Salma
2025. Banter reframed. Review of Cognitive Linguistics DOI logo
Lozano-Palacio, Inés
2024. A cognitive-pragmatic account of the structural elements of the ironic event. Cognitive Linguistic Studies 11:1 ► pp. 75 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 30 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue