Deirdre Wilson
Biographic Data
| ID | 3591845 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Deirdre Wilson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Deirdre |
| FAMILY NAME | Wilson |
| SIGNATURE | WILSON D |
| AFFILIATIONS | University College London |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5570-9920 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 39 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 606 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 39 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1976 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2022 |
| H-INDEX | 11 |
Relevance theory: New horizons Foreword by Tim Wharton, Caroline Jagoe and Deirdre Wilson
Pragmatics and the challenge of 'non-propositional' effects
Little Words: Communication and procedural meaning
Reassessing the conceptual-procedural distinction
Irony comprehension: A developmental perspective
Meaning and Relevance
When people speak, their words never fully encode what they mean, and the context is always compatible with a variety of interpretations. How can comprehension ever be achieved? Wilson and Sperber argue that comprehension is a process of inference guided by precise expectations of relevance. What are the relations between the linguistically encoded meanings studied in semantics and the thoughts that humans are capable of entertaining and conveyin…
Parallels and differences in the treatment of metaphor in relevance theory and cognitive linguistics
Both cognitive linguists and relevance theorists are developing original approaches to metaphor. Both shed new light on old debates and suggest fruitful directions for research. Although there has so far been little interaction between the two approaches, Raymond Gibbs and Markus Tendahl (Mind & Language 21: 379–403, 2006, Journal of Pragmatics 40: 1823–1864, 2008) have recently begun to compare them and consider how they might be combined. This …
Epistemic Vigilance
Humans massively depend on communication with others, but this leaves them open to the risk of being accidentally or intentionally misinformed. To ensure that, despite this risk, communication remains advantageous, humans have, we claim, a suite of cognitive mechanisms for epistemic vigilance. Here we outline this claim and consider some of the ways in which epistemic vigilance works in mental and social life by surveying issues, research and the…
A Deflationary Account of Metaphors
Introduction Are metaphors departures from a norm of literalness? According to classical rhetoric and most later theories, including Gricean pragmatics, they are. No, metaphors are wholly normal, say the Romantic critics of classical rhetoric and a variety of modern scholars ranging from hard-nosed cognitive scientists to postmodern critical theorists. On the metaphor-as-normal side, there is a broad contrast between those, like the cognitive lin…
A unitary approach to Lexical Pragmatics: Relevance, Inference and Ad hoc concepts
According to recent work in the new field of lexical pragmatics, the meanings of words are frequently pragmatically adjusted and fine-tuned in context, so that their contribution to the proposition expressed is different from their lexically encoded sense. Well-known examples include lexical narrowing (e.g. ‘drink’ used to mean ALCOHOLIC DRINK), approximation (or loosening) (e.g. ‘flat’ used to mean RELATIVELY FLAT) and metaphorical extension (e.…
Pragmatics
Pragmatics is often described as the study of language use, and contrasted with the study of language structure. In this broad sense, it covers a range of loosely related research programmes from formal studies of deictic expressions to sociological studies of ethnic verbal stereotypes. In a more focused sense (the one used here), pragmatics contrasts with semantics, the study of linguistic meaning, and is the study of how contextual factors inte…
Metaphor, Relevance and the 'Emergent Property' Issue
The interpretation of metaphorical utterances often results in the attribution of emergent properties, which are neither standardly associated with the individual constituents in isolation nor derivable by standard rules of semantic composition. An adequate pragmatic account of metaphor interpretation must explain how these properties are derived. Using the framework of relevance theory, we propose a wholly inferential account, and argue that the…
Relevance and prosody
The pragmatics of verbal irony: Echo or pretence
Reply to Rajagopalan
We have been asked to respond to Kanavillil Rajagopalan’s paper “Linguistic Pragmatics: a Discipline Bedevilled by its own History?—Implications for Intercultural Studies.” Since Relevance Theory seems to be one of Rajagopalan’s main targets, we felt we should. But what aspect of his paper should we respond to? Rajagopalan says little about the contents of Relevance Theory (or indeed of any other pragmatic theory). The polemical tone which leads …
New directions for research on pragmatics and modularity
Truthfulness and Relevance
This paper questions the widespread view that verbal communication is governed by a maxim, norm or convention of truthfulness which applies at the level of what is literally meant, or what is said. Pragmatic frameworks based on this view must explain the frequent occurrence and acceptability of loose and figurative uses of language. We argue against existing explanations of these phenomena and provide an alternative account, based on the assumpti…
Pragmatics, Modularity and Mind-reading
The central problem for pragmatics is that sentence meaning vastly underdetermines speaker's meaning. The goal of pragmatics is to explain how the gap between sentence meaning and speaker's meaning is bridged. This paper defends the broadly Gricean view that pragmatic interpretation is ultimately an exercise in mind-reading, involving the inferential attribution of intentions. We argue, however, that the interpretation process does not simply con…
Irony and relevance: A reply to Seto, Hamamoto and Yamanashi
Pragmatics and time
Discourse, coherence and relevance: A reply to Rachel Giora
Remarks on relevance theory and the social sciences
Most relevance-theoretic work so far has been carried out at a fairly abstract level (where some interesting generalizations could be developed). It has in general ignored most of the social intricacies of communication. At the same time, as a theory of communication, relevance theory is a theory of a type of social phenomenon, the most ubiquitous of all. It analyzes communication as an inferential process, and thus provides a more realistic mode…
Relevance: Communication and Cognition
Introductory remarks
Linguistic form and relevance
Linguistic form and relevance
Pragmatics, Modularity and Mind-reading
The central problem for pragmatics is that sentence meaning vastly underdetermines speaker's meaning. The goal of pragmatics is to explain how the gap between sentence meaning and speaker's meaning is bridged. This paper defends the broadly Gricean view that pragmatic interpretation is ultimately an exercise in mind-reading, involving the inferential attribution of intentions. We argue, however, that the interpretation process does not simply con…
On verbal irony
Relevance and prosody
The pragmatics of verbal irony: Echo or pretence
Pragmatics and the challenge of 'non-propositional' effects
Irony comprehension: A developmental perspective
Reassessing the conceptual-procedural distinction
New directions for research on pragmatics and modularity
Autonomous Syntax and the Analysis of Auxiliaries
Historically, the analysis of the English auxiliary given by Chomsky 1957 has been associated mainly with the autonomous-syntax (‘interpretive semantics’) position, while the analysis of auxiliaries as main verbs first proposed by Ross 1969 has been aligned with ‘generative semantics'. This correlation is an accidental one. If less commonly discussed members of the class of auxiliary verbs are taken into account, it is possible to adduce overwhel…
Discourse, coherence and relevance: A reply to Rachel Giora
Remarks on relevance theory and the social sciences
Most relevance-theoretic work so far has been carried out at a fairly abstract level (where some interesting generalizations could be developed). It has in general ignored most of the social intricacies of communication. At the same time, as a theory of communication, relevance theory is a theory of a type of social phenomenon, the most ubiquitous of all. It analyzes communication as an inferential process, and thus provides a more realistic mode…
Parallels and differences in the treatment of metaphor in relevance theory and cognitive linguistics
Both cognitive linguists and relevance theorists are developing original approaches to metaphor. Both shed new light on old debates and suggest fruitful directions for research. Although there has so far been little interaction between the two approaches, Raymond Gibbs and Markus Tendahl (Mind & Language 21: 379–403, 2006, Journal of Pragmatics 40: 1823–1864, 2008) have recently begun to compare them and consider how they might be combined. This …
Pragmatique et temps
This paper is a radical criticism of formal semantic approaches to the sequencing problem in temporal reference assignment. The authors show that the main problem for the calculation of temporal reference is not the sequencing one, but the interval and causality problems, and that a pragmatic criterion (the criterion of consistency with the Principle of Relevance) explains the assignment of temporal reference
Reply to Chametzky
L'interprétation des énoncés
Wilson Deirdre, Sperber Dan. L'interprétation des énoncés. In: Communications, 30, 1979. La conversation. pp. 80-94
Relevance, Contextual Effects and Least Effort
Little Words: Communication and procedural meaning
Reply to Rajagopalan
We have been asked to respond to Kanavillil Rajagopalan’s paper “Linguistic Pragmatics: a Discipline Bedevilled by its own History?—Implications for Intercultural Studies.” Since Relevance Theory seems to be one of Rajagopalan’s main targets, we felt we should. But what aspect of his paper should we respond to? Rajagopalan says little about the contents of Relevance Theory (or indeed of any other pragmatic theory). The polemical tone which leads …
Presupposition and the Delimitation of Semantics
Journal Article Book Reviews Get access Presupposition and the Delimitation of Semantics. By Ruth M. Kempson. ( Cambridge Studies in Linguistics. Cambridge, London: C.U.P. 1975. Pp. xi + 235. Price £7.00) Presuppositions and non-truth-conditional Semantics. By Deirdre Wilson. (London: Academic Press. 1975. Pp. xiii + 161. Price £4.60) Peter Lamarque Peter Lamarque Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The Philos…
British Social Anthropologists and Language. A History of Separate Development
Presupposition
Autonomous Syntax and the Analysis of Auxiliaries
Historically, the analysis of the English auxiliary given by Chomsky 1957 has been associated mainly with the autonomous-syntax (‘interpretive semantics’) position, while the analysis of auxiliaries as main verbs first proposed by Ross 1969 has been aligned with ‘generative semantics'. This correlation is an accidental one. If less commonly discussed members of the class of auxiliary verbs are taken into account, it is possible to adduce overwhel…
Introduction to Contemporary Linguistic Semantics
L'interprétation des énoncés
Wilson Deirdre, Sperber Dan. L'interprétation des énoncés. In: Communications, 30, 1979. La conversation. pp. 80-94
Modern Linguistics: The Results of Chomsky's Revolution
The Self-Appointment of Seuren as Censor a Reply to Pieter Seuren
Relevance, Contextual Effects and Least Effort
Précis of Relevance: Communication and Cognition
In Relevance: Communication and Cognition , we outline a new approach to the study of human communication, one based on a general view of human cognition. Attention and thought processes, we argue, automatically turn toward information that seems relevant: that is, capable of yielding cognitive effects – the more, and the more economically, the greater the relevance. We analyse both the nature ofcognitive effects and the inferential processes by …
As ironias como menções
É comum caracterizar-se a ironia verbal como a figura produzida quando um enunciado possui um sentido figurado oposto ao seu sentido literal. Deste modo, "que tempo bom!" dito ironicamente terá por sentido figurado: "que tempo horrível!" etc. Poder-se-ia, como outros fizeram, procurar enriquecer esta caracterização e considerar casos de ironia sem recorrer à noção do sentido figurado.Esta tentativa se insere no quadro de uma pesquisa mais ampla, …
Reply to Chametzky
On verbal irony
Introductory remarks
Linguistic form and relevance
Pragmatique et temps
This paper is a radical criticism of formal semantic approaches to the sequencing problem in temporal reference assignment. The authors show that the main problem for the calculation of temporal reference is not the sequencing one, but the interval and causality problems, and that a pragmatic criterion (the criterion of consistency with the Principle of Relevance) explains the assignment of temporal reference
Remarks on relevance theory and the social sciences
Most relevance-theoretic work so far has been carried out at a fairly abstract level (where some interesting generalizations could be developed). It has in general ignored most of the social intricacies of communication. At the same time, as a theory of communication, relevance theory is a theory of a type of social phenomenon, the most ubiquitous of all. It analyzes communication as an inferential process, and thus provides a more realistic mode…
Relevance: Communication and Cognition
Irony and relevance: A reply to Seto, Hamamoto and Yamanashi
Pragmatics and time
Discourse, coherence and relevance: A reply to Rachel Giora
Truthfulness and Relevance
This paper questions the widespread view that verbal communication is governed by a maxim, norm or convention of truthfulness which applies at the level of what is literally meant, or what is said. Pragmatic frameworks based on this view must explain the frequent occurrence and acceptability of loose and figurative uses of language. We argue against existing explanations of these phenomena and provide an alternative account, based on the assumpti…
Pragmatics, Modularity and Mind-reading
The central problem for pragmatics is that sentence meaning vastly underdetermines speaker's meaning. The goal of pragmatics is to explain how the gap between sentence meaning and speaker's meaning is bridged. This paper defends the broadly Gricean view that pragmatic interpretation is ultimately an exercise in mind-reading, involving the inferential attribution of intentions. We argue, however, that the interpretation process does not simply con…
Reply to Rajagopalan
We have been asked to respond to Kanavillil Rajagopalan’s paper “Linguistic Pragmatics: a Discipline Bedevilled by its own History?—Implications for Intercultural Studies.” Since Relevance Theory seems to be one of Rajagopalan’s main targets, we felt we should. But what aspect of his paper should we respond to? Rajagopalan says little about the contents of Relevance Theory (or indeed of any other pragmatic theory). The polemical tone which leads …
New directions for research on pragmatics and modularity
Philosophy (29 works) · Psychology (26 works) · Linguistics (25 works) · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition (21 works) · Cognition (17 works) · Computer Science (16 works) · Relevance theory (16 works) · Philosophy (15 works) · Epistemology (14 works) · Cognitive science (11 works)