Metalinguistic effects

Abstract

We can communicate linguistic information by asserting sentences that are not explicitly about linguistic matters. Stalnaker offers a pragmatic account of this phenomenon. It is not clear that such an account is correct. In this article I offer an alternative account that does not rely on pragmatic mechanisms and which captures many of the insights in Stalnaker's theory of linguistic communication. The view is inspired by Barker's semantics of vague adjectives.

What topic continuity problem?

“…For example, when someone says "Feynman is tall", they could be communicating something about Feynman's height (e.g., if they're asking how tall Feynman is) or about what to count as tall (e.g., if they're asking what counts as tall in their country). This distinction arguably generalizes to ordinary assertions even without gradable adjectives (Plunkett and Sundell, 2013;Kocurek et al, 2020;Soria-Ruiz, 2021;Mena, 2022). Thus, when someone says "Pluto is a planet", they could be communicating something about Pluto's physical properties (e.g., if they're answering an exam question about Pluto) or about what to count as a planet (e.g., if they're protesting the IAU's 2006 decision to redefine 'planet').…”

“…Depending on the context, asking "What is a planet?" could either be interpreted as a request for factual information or as initiating a conversation over the interpretation of 'planet' (Plunkett and Sundell, 2013;Kocurek, Jerzak, and Rudolph, 2020;Belleri, 2021;Knoll, 2021;Soria-Ruiz, 2021;Mena, 2022). In the latter case, one is asking how to interpret 'planet', i.e., which intension to assign to 'planet' as its meaning.…”

Efectos metalingüisticos y metacontextuales

“…eISSN 0495-4548 -eISSN 2171-679X Theoria, 2022, 37(3), 275-290 https://doi.org/10.1387 Efectos metalingüísticos y metacontextuales (Metalinguistic and metacontextual effects) Ricardo Mena* IIF-UNAM RESUMEN: Algunas aseveraciones que no son acerca del significado de las palabras usadas pueden transmitir información acerca de ese significado. En Mena (2022) ofrecí una teoría para explicar este fenómeno de manera puramente semántica. Lo novedoso de la teoría consiste en incluir las interpretaciones del lenguaje en las circunstancias de evaluación: los parámetros respecto a los cuales evaluamos los contenidos de las expresiones lingüísticas.…”

“…ABSTRACT: Some assertions that are not about the meanings of the words used can transmit information about those meanings. In Mena (2022) I offered an explanation of that phenomenon purely in semantic terms. The novelty of that theory consists in including interpretations of language in circumstances of evaluation: the parameters relative to which we evaluate the contents of linguistic expressions.…”

“…En Mena (2022) desarrollé una teoría semántica acerca de los efectos metalingüísticos. Una aseveración tiene efectos metalingüísticos cuando comunica cierto tipo de información sustantiva acerca del significado de las palabras que constituyen la oración aseverada.…”