SEMÁNTICA DE LA LENGUA EXTRANJERA
UT. 3 UTTERANCE MEANING
LIC. ANA ESMERALADA FERNANDEZ ROJAS
UTTERANCE MEANING
“UTTERANCE MEANING
is what a speaker
means when he makes
an utterance in a
particular situation.”
[Hurford and Heasley,
1984: 269]
PRESUPPOSITION
PRESUPPOSITION is
something taken as being
true or factual and used as a
starting point for a course of
action or reasoning.
PRESUPPOSITION
Definition and characteristics
Presupposition is “what a “Presuppositions are inferences about “Speakers often make implicit
speaker or writer assumes that what is assumed to be true in the assumptions about the real world, and the Presuppositions can be used to
the receiver of the message utterance rather than directly asserted sense of an utterance may depend on communicate information
already knows.” to be true: those assumptions, which some linguists indirectly. If someone says My
term presuppositions.44” brother is rich, we assume that
the person has a brother, even
Thus, ‘John doesn’t though that fact is not explicitly
write poems ‘Faye has looked for the stated. Much of the information
keys’ directly asserts Faye In the following dialogue, for that is exchanged in a
anymore’
has looked for the keys example, both A and B know (1) conversation or discourse is of
presupposes that
John once wrote who Simon and Monica are; that this kind. Often, after a
poetry. (2) Simon has a vehicle, most conversation has ended, we will
‘Where has Faye looked for the probably a car; and that (3) realize that some fact imparted
keys? ’ presupposes Faye has Monica has no vehicle at the to us was not specifically
looked for the keys moment. mentioned. That fact is often a
presupposition.
And ‘Would you like ‘Annie has a sofa’ directly asserts
another beer?’ Annie has a sofa A: ‘What about inviting Simon
presupposes that the tonight?’
person called you
here has already had
at least one beer. ‘Don’t sit on Annie’s sofa’ B: ‘What a good idea; then
presupposes Annie has a sofa.” he can give Monica a lift.’
PRESUPPOSITION
Characteristics
The presupposition of an The presupposition
utterance remains the of an utterance
The presupposition of an utterance remains the same under its may be cancelled
NEGATION: same under its
INTERROGATION: under its
EXTENSION:
(5)b. (5)a
(1)b. (1)a-b (2)b. (2)a-b (3)a-b ‘She presuppo
(1)a. (2)a. both (3)b. ‘I both didn’t
‘John both ‘The (4)b. (4)c. (5)a. ses that
‘John didn’t presuppos ‘The presupp (3)a. ‘I don’t presupp (4)a. (4)a-c all feel the meat
dog’s dog’s like his ‘Did ‘Why did presuppos ‘She
stopped stop e that
tail ose that like his ose that ‘John regret at was
John once tail was the dog car.’ John John e that didn’t
smoking. smoking. wasn’t car.’ he owns stopped feel
the over- overcook
smoked cut.’ had a stop stop John once
cooked ed while
’ cigarettes. cut.’ a car. smoking. smoked regret at
tail. smoking? smoking? meat (5)b
’ cigarettes. the over-
’ ’ because presuppo
cooked ses that
it was in
meat.’ the meat
fact
well- was well-
done.’ done.
TYPES OF PRESUPPOSITION
THE EXISTENTIAL PRESUPPOSITION
THE FACTIVE PRESUPOSITION
THE NON FACTIVE PRESUPPOSITION
THE LEXICAL PRESUPPOSITION
THE STRUCTURAL PRESUPPOSITION
THE COUNTER FACTUAL
PRESUPPOSTION
THE EXISTENTIAL PRESUPPOSITION
Entities named by the speaker are assumed to be present.
It is the assumption of the existence of the entities named by the speaker.
1.Noun phrase.
2.Possessive constructions.
A POSSESSIVE NOUN PHRASE (NP) = A COMPLETE STATEMENT
X HAD/HAS/WILL HAVE+ AN INDEFINITE NP
1. ‘They haven’t spoken to each other since their last week’s quarrel.’
(countable noun: singular) their last week’s quarrel
The utterance presupposes that they had a quarrel last week.
THE EXISTENTIAL PRESUPPOSITION
3. ‘That her turtle ran away made Emily very
2. ‘I lost my watch yesterday at Trinidad market.’ sad.’
(countable noun: singular) my watch (countable noun: singular) her turtle
The utterance presupposes that Emily had a
The utterance presupposes that I had a watch. (pet) turtle.
4. ‘John’s sister has been in hospital for a week.’
(countable noun: singular) John’s sister
The utterance presupposes that John has a sister.
THE EXISTENTIAL PRESUPPOSITION
A DEFINITE NOUN PHRASE (NP) = A COMPLETE STATEMENT
THERE IS/WAS/ARE/WERE+ AN INDEFINITE NP (+ ADJUNCT OF PLACE)
EXIST/EXISTS/EXISTED+ AN INDEFINITE NP (+ ADJUNCT OF PLACE)
9. ‘The American girl next door is having a
party.’
the American girl next door (countable
noun: singular)
The utterance presupposes that
there is an American girl next door.
there is a girl from the USA living next
door.
THE EXISTENTIAL PRESUPPOSITION
A DEFINITE NOUN PHRASE (NP) = A COMPLETE STATEMENT
THERE IS/WAS/ARE/WERE+ AN INDEFINITE NP (+ ADJUNCT OF PLACE)
EXIST/EXISTS/EXISTED+ AN INDEFINITE NP (+ ADJUNCT OF PLACE)
10. ‘Children like all the pictures in
this book very much.’
all the pictures in this book (countable
noun: plural)
The utterance presupposes
that
there are/exist a number of
pictures in this book.
a number of pictures can be
found in this book.
THE EXISTENTIAL PRESUPPOSITION
A DEFINITE NOUN PHRASE (NP) = A COMPLETE STATEMENT
THERE IS/WAS/ARE/WERE+ AN INDEFINITE NP (+ ADJUNCT OF PLACE)
EXIST/EXISTS/EXISTED+ AN INDEFINITE NP (+ ADJUNCT OF PLACE)
11. ‘The king of Sweden has
just left for France.’
(countable noun: plural)
the king of Sweden
The utterance presupposes that
there is/exists a king in Sweden.
The utterance presupposes that the
king of Sweden exists
THE EXISTENTIAL PRESUPPOSITION
A DEFINITE NOUN PHRASE (NP) = AN INDEFINITE NOUN PHRASE (NP)
The book you gave me is worth reading.
the book (= which/that) you gave me
The utterance presupposes that you gave me a book.
THE FACTIVE PRESUPPOSITION
It is the assumption that something is true due to the presence of some verbs such as "know" ,
"realize" and “glad” etc.
‘Ed realized/didn’t ‘I was aware/wasn’t
‘Nobody realized ‘It is odd/isn’t odd ‘I am glad that it’s
realize that he was in aware that she was
that Kelly was ill.’ that he left early.’ over.’
debt.’ married.’
• The utterance • The utterance • The utterance • The utterance • The utterance
presupposes that presupposes that Ed presupposes that presupposes that he presupposes that
Kelly was ill. was in debt. she was married. left early. it’s over.
THE NON-FACTIVE PRESUPPOSITION
It is an assumption referred to something that is not true.
For example, verbs like "dream", "imagine“ and "pretend" are used with the presupposition that
what follows is not true.
‘We imagined that we were ‘She pretended that he had
‘He pretends to be ill.’
in Hawaii.’ understood what she meant.’
• The utterance presupposes • The utterance presupposes • The utterance presupposes
that we were not in Hawaii. that he is not ill. that he did not understand
what she meant.
THE LEXICAL PRESUPPOSITION
t is the assumption that, in using one word, the speaker can act as the another meaning (word)
will be understood.
‘The Brazilian team ‘I’m not going to let
‘I ’m going to change ‘My sister’s going to
beat the French team him come under my
job.’ change job. ’
again.’ roof anymore.’
• The utterance • The utterance • The utterance • The utterance
presupposes that the presupposes that he presupposes that I presupposes that my
Brazilian team often comes under have a job already. sister has a job
beat/had beaten the my roof/to my already.
French team before. house.’ • The utterance
presupposes that I
have a sister and she
has a job already.
THE STRUCTURAL PRESUPPOSITION
It is the assumption associated with the use of certain structures.
Wh-question constructions.
The listener perceives that the information presented is necessarily true, or intended as true
by the speaker.
Wh EMBEDDED CLAUSE = A COMPLETE STATEMENT
‘I was eating popcorn when Mike ‘I don’t know why I’ve got an ‘How fast was the car going when
smashed the television set.’ average mark.’ it ran the red light?’
•The utterance presupposes that •The utterance presupposes that •The utterance presupposes that
Mike smashed the television set. I’ve got an average mark. the car ran the red light.
•(The speaker assumes that the •(The speaker assumes that the
hearer already knows what the hearer already knows what the
television set is.) car is.)
THE COUNTER FACTUAL PRESUPPOSITION
AN ENBEDDED CLAUSE AFTER WISH = A COMPLETE STATEMENT
‘They wish they could go on
‘I wish I had studied medicine.’
vacation now.’
• they could go on vacation now • I had studied medicine
• The utterance presupposes • The utterance presupposes
that they cannot go on that I did not study medicine.
vacation now.
THE COUNTER FACTUAL PRESUPPOSITION
A CLAUSE WITH A MODAL PERFECT VER FORM = A COMPLETE STATEMENT
‘You shouldn’t have seen ‘You could have talked to the
such a horror film.’ dean.’
• The utterance presupposes • The utterance presupposes
that you did see/saw a that you did not talk to the
horror film. dean.
