The pragmatic perspective

Jef Verschueren
Table of contents

In the preface to this volume, pragmatics was defined briefly as the cognitive, social, and cultural study of language and communication. This introductory chapter is intended to explain, as succinctly as possible, what that means exactly. To that end it presents, in the following order: an historical note about pragmatics as a wide and highly interdisciplinary field of inquiry; a discussion of problems related to the delimitation of this field as well as to methodology and the status of evidence in pragmatics; a full explanation of the notion of ‘pragmatics’ underlying this publication, i.e. one that defines pragmatics as a perspective on language rather than as a component of a linguistic theory; a sketch of a proposal as to how such a perspective could lead to a general frame of reference within which a diversity of research results can be fruitfully compared and which may itself lead to the formulation of useful research strategies; and an exposition of some basic scientific options that follow from the presented perspective and that lend structure to the Handbook.

Full-text access is restricted to subscribers. Log in to obtain additional credentials. For subscription information see Subscription & Price.

References

Anscombre, J.-C.
1979 Délocutivité benvenistienne, délocutivité généralisée et performativité. Langue française 42: 69–84. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Apel, K.-O.
1989 Linguistic meaning and intentionality. In G. Deledalle (ed.): 19–70. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Atkinson, J.M. & J. Heritage
(eds.) 1984 Structures of social action. Cambridge University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Auer, P. & A. Di Luzio
(eds.) 1992 The contextualization of language. John Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Austin, J.L.
1962 How to do things with words. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bakhtin, M.M.
1981 The dialogic imagination. University of Texas Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bar-Hillel, Y.
(ed.) 1971 Pragmatics of natural languages. Reidel.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bartlett, F.C.
1932 Remembering. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Barwise, J. & J. Perry
1983 Situations and attitudes. MIT Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bates, E.
1976 Language and context. Academic Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bateson, G.
1972 Steps to an ecology of mind. Chandler.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Benveniste, E.
1966 Problèmes de linguistique générale. Gallimard.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Berger, P.L.
1992 Sociology. Society 30(1): 12–18. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bernicot, J.
1992 Les actes de langage chez l’enfant. Presses University de France.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Berrendonner, A.
1981 Eléments de pragmatique linguistique. Editions de Minuit.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bertuccelli Papi, M.
1993 Che cos’è la pragmatica. Bompiani.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Birnbacher, D. & A. Burkhardt
(eds.) 1985 Sprachspiel und Methode. De Gruyter.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Blakemore, D.
1992 Understanding utterances. Blackwell.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Blum-Kulka, S., J. House & G. Kasper
(eds.) 1989 Cross-cultural pragmatics. Ablex.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bolinger, D.
1968 Aspects of language. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bourdieu, P.
1982 Ce que parler veut dire. Fayard.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Briggs, C.
1986 Learning how to ask. Cambridge University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bronowski, J.
1973 The ascent of man. Little, Brown & Co.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bruner, J.
1990 Acts of meaning. Harvard University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bühler, K.
1934 Sprachtheorie. Fischer.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chafe, W.L.
(ed.) 1980 The pear stories. Ablex.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chomsky, N.
1965 Aspects of the theory of syntax. MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1980 Rules and representations. Blackwell.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cicourel, A.V.
1982 Interviews, surveys, and the problem of ecological validity. The American Sociologist 17: 11–20.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Clark, H.H. & E.V. Clark
1977 Psychology and language. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cole, P.
(ed.) 1981 Radical pragmatics. Academic Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cornulier, B. De
1985 Effets de sens. Editions de Minuit.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Daneš, F.
(ed.) 1974 Papers on functional sentence perspective. Academia.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dascal, M.
1983 Pragmatics and the philosophy of mind 1. John Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dahl, Ö.
(ed.) 1977 Logic, pragmatics and grammar. Göteborg University, Dept. of Linguistics.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Davidson, D. & G. Harman
(eds.) 1972 Semantics of natural language. Reidel.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Davis, S.
(ed.) 1991 Pragmatics. Oxford University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Deledalle, G.
(ed.) 1989 Semiotics and pragmatics. John Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dijk, T.A.Van
1978 Taal en handelen. Coutinho.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1981 Studies in the pragmatics of discourse. Mouton. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dik, S.
1978 Functional grammar. North Holland.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dirven, R. & V. Fried
1987 Functionalism in linguistics. John Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ducrot, O.
1972 Dire et ne pas dire. Hermann.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1973 La preuve et le dire. Mame.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1980 Les échelles argumentatives. Editions de Minuit.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Duranti, A. & C. Goodwin
(eds.) 1992 Rethinking context. Cambridge University Press.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Errington, J.J.
1988 Structure and style in Javanese. University of Pennsylvania Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ervin-Tripp, S.M.
1973 Language acquisition and communicative choice. Stanford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fauconnier, G.
1985 Mental spaces. MIT Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fillmore, C.J.
1971 Types of lexical information. In D.D. Steinberg & L.A. Jakobovits (eds.): 370–392.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1972 Subjects, speakers, and roles. In D. Davidson & G. Harman (eds.): 1–24. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1975 An alternative to checklist theories of meaning. Proceedings of the 1st Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society 123–131.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Firbas, J.
1983 On the concepts of scene and perspective in Fillmore’s approach and in that of functional sentence perspective. In S. Rot (ed.), Languages in function: 101–107. Budapest.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Firth, J.R.
1964 The tongues of men [1937] and Speech [1930]. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Foucault, M.
1966 Les mots et les choses. Gallimard.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Garfinkel, H.
1967 Studies in ethnomethodology. Prentice-Hall.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gazdar, G.J.M.
1979 Pragmatics. Academic Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ghiglione, R. & A. Trognon
1993 Où va la pragmatique? Presses University de Grenoble.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Givón, T.
1989 Mind, code and context. Erlbaum.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Goffman, E.
1974 Frame analysis. Harper & Row.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1981 Forms of talk. University of Pennsylvania Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Golopentia, S.
1988 Les voies de la pragmatique. Anma Libri.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Grice, H.P.
1975 Logic and conversation. In P. Cole & J.L. Morgan (eds.), Syntax and semantics, vol. 3: 41–58. Academic Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Guenthner, F. & S.J. Schmidt
(eds.) 1979 Formal semantics and pragmatics for natural languages. Reidel.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gumperz, J.J.
1982 Discourse strategies. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gumperz, J.J. & D.H. Hymes
(eds.) 1972 Directions in sociolinguistics. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Haberland, H. & J. Mey
1977 Editorial: Linguistics and pragmatics. Journal of Pragmatics 1(1): 1–12.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Habermas, J.
1971 Vorbereitende Bemerkungen zu einer Theorie der kommunikativen Kompetenz. In J. Habermas & N. Luhmann, Theorie der Gesellschaft oder Sozialtechnologie. Suhrkamp.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1979 What is universal pragmatics?In Communication and the evolution of society: 1–68. Beacon Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Halliday, M.A.K.
1973 Explorations in the functions of language. Edward Arnold.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Heringer, H.J.
1978 Practical semantics. Mouton. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hickey, L.
(ed.) 1989 The pragmatics of style. Routledge.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hilbert, R.A.
1992 The classical roots of ethnomethodology. The University of North Carolina Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Holden, C.
1993 New life ahead for social sciences. Science 261: 1796–1798. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hymes, D.
1972 On communicative competence. In J.B. Pride & J. Holmes (eds.), Sociolinguistics: 269–293. Penguin.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1974 Foundations in sociolinguistics. Tavistock.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Jakobson, R.
1960 Concluding remarks: Linguistics and poetics. In Thomas A. Sebeok (ed.), Style in language: 350–377. MIT Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1970 Main trends in the science of language. Harper & Row.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Johansen, J.D. & H. Sonne
(eds.) 1986 Pragmatics and linguistics. Odense University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kates, C.A.
1980 Pragmatics and semantics. Cornell University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kempson, R.M.
1975 Presupposition and the delimitation of semantics. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kerbrat-Orecchioni, C.
1980 L’énonciation. Colin.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1986 L’implicite. Colin.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kroskrity, P., B. Schieffelin & K. Woolard
(eds.) 1992 Special issue on language ideologies. Pragmatics 2(3): 235–449. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lakoff, G.
1972 Linguistics and natural logic. In D. Davidson & G. Harman (eds.): 545–665. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lakoff, G. & M. Johnson
1980 Metaphors we live by. University of Chicago Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lakoff, R.
1989 The way we were. Journal of Pragmatics 13(6): 939–988. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Langacker, R.
1987 Foundations of cognitive grammar. Stanford University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Latraverse, F.
1987 La pragmatique. Mardaga.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Leech, G.
1983 Principles of pragmatics. Longman.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Levinson, S.C.
1983 Pragmatics. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lucy, J.A.
(ed.) 1993 Reflexive language. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Martin, R.M.
1979 Pragmatics, truth, and language. Reidel. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mathesius, V.
1928 On linguistic characterology with illustrations from modern English. Proceedings of the 1st International Congress of Linguists: 56–63.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mccawley, J.D.
1972 A program for logic. In D. Davidson & G. Harman (eds.): 498–544. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mey, J.L.
1985 Whose language?John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1993 Pragmatics. Blackwell.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Minsky, M.
1977 Frame-system theory. In P.N. Johnson-Laird & P.C. Wason (eds.), Thinking: 355–376. Cambridge University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Moeschler, J. & A. Reboul
1994 Dictionnaire encyclopédique de pragmatique. Editions du Seuil.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Montague, R.
1974 Formal philosophy. Yale University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Morris, C.
1938 Foundations of the theory of signs (= Foundations of the unity of science I:2) University of Chicago Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1971 Writings on the general theory of signs. Mouton.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Nuyts, J. & J. Verschueren
1987 A comprehensive bibliography of pragmatics (4 vols.). Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ochs, E.
1988 Culture and language development. Cambridge University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ö
Stman, J.-O. 1986 Pragmatics as implicitness. Ph.D. diss., University of California at Berkeley.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Parret, H.
1983 Semiotics and pragmatics. John Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Parret, H
et al. 1980 Le langage en contexte. John Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Parret, H., M. Sbis
À & J. Verschueren (eds.) 1981 Possibilities and limitations of pragmatics. John Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pratt, M.L.
1977 Toward a speech act theory of literary discourse. Indiana University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Récanati, F.
1979 La transparence et l’énonciation. Editions du Seuil.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1981 Les énoncés performatifs. Editions de Minuit.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ross, J.R.
1972 Act. In D. Davidson & G. Harman (eds.): 70–126. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Roulet, E.
1980 Modalité et illocution. Communications 32: 216–239.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sacks, H., E.A. Schegloff & G. Jefferson
1974 A simplest systematics for the organization of turn-taking for conversation. Language 50(4): 696–735.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sapir, E.
1929 The status of linguistics as a science. Language 5: 207–214.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1966 Culture, language and personality. University of California Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sbisà, M.
1989 Linguaggio, ragione, interazione. Il Mulino.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Schlieben-Lange, B.
1975 Linguistische Pragmatik. Kohlhammer.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Schmidt, S.J.
(ed.) 1974 Pragmatik I. Fink.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Searle, J.R.
1969 Speech acts. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1975 Indirect speech acts. In P. Cole & J.L. Morgan (eds.), Syntax and semantics, vol. 3: 59–82. Academic Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Searle, J.R
et al. 1992 (On) Searle on conversation. John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Searle, J.R., F. Kiefer & M. Bierwisch
(eds.) 1980 Speech act theory and pragmatics. Reidel.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sgall, P. & E. Haji
ČOVÁ 1977 Focus on focus. Prague Bulletin of Mathematical Linguistics 28: 5–54.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sherzer, J.
1987 A discourse-centered approach to language and culture. American Anthropologist 89:2.295–309. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Silverstein, M.
1979 Language structure and linguistic ideology. In P.R. Clyne, W.F. Hanks & C.L. Hofbauer (eds.), The elements: 193–247. Chicago Linguistic Society.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Smith, B.R. & E. Leinonen
1992 Clinical pragmatics. Chapman & Hall.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sperber, D. & D. Wilson
1986 Relevance. Blackwell.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Stati, S.
1990 Le transphrastique. Presses University de France.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Steinberg, D.D. & L.A. Jakobovits
(eds.) 1971 Semantics. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Steiner, E.H. & R. Veltman
(eds.) 1988 Pragmatics, discourse and text. Pinter.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Talmy, L.
1978 Figure and ground in complex sentences. In J.H. Greenberg (ed.) Universals of human language, vol. 4: 625–649. Stanford University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Thayer, H.S.
(ed.) 1970 Pragmatism. Mentor.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Todorov, T.
1981 Mikhaïl Bakhtine. Editions du Seuil.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Vanderveken, D.
1988 Les actes de discours. Mardaga.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Verschueren, J.
1978 Reflections on presupposition failure. Journal of Pragmatics 2(2): 107–151.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1985 Principles of pragmatics. Journal of Linguistics 21: 459–470. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1987 Pragmatics as a theory of linguistic adaptation (= Working Document 1). International Pragmatics Association.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1994a The pragmatic return to meaning. Ms.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1994b Meaning in a theory of pragmatics. Proceedings of the 20th Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
1995 Linguistic pragmatics and semiotics. Semiotica 104(1/2).  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(ed.) 1991a Pragmatics at issue. John Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(ed.) (ed.) 1991b Levels of linguistic adaptation. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Verschueren, J. & M. Bertuccelli
PAPI (eds.) 1987 The pragmatic perspective. John Benjamins.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Vygotsky, L.
1986 Thought and language. MIT Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Watzlawick, P., J. Beavin
BAVELAS & D.D. Jackson 1967 Pragmatics of human communication. Norton & Company.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Weiser, A.
1974 Deliberate ambiguity. Papers from the 10th Regional Meeting of the Chicago Linguistics Society: 723–731.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Winch, P.
1958 The idea of a social science and its relation to philosophy. Routledge & Kegan Paul.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Winkin, Y.
1981 La nouvelle communication. Editions du Seuil. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wittgenstein, L.
1953 Philosophische Untersuchungen. Blackwell.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wunderlich, D.
(ed.) 1972 Linguistische Pragmatik. Athenäum.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
 
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue