English Puns: A Multidimensional Perspective

This dissertation is a multidimensional study on the English pun from the historical, rhetorical, linguistic, literary, psychological, philosophical, and cognitive perspectives.The pun has a long, honorable, and enduring tradition, and it is regarded as one of the most beloved tools of comic creation in many civilizations. The English pun is also the most controversial linguistic phenomenon and rhetorical device. Abundance of praise comes from many great minds, some of whom are so inveterate punsters that they write to defend it, and use it with great relish. More scholars, however, condemn the pun with heaps of abuses. Viewed from the historical, rhetorical, literary and philosophical context, the English punning tradition has experienced not only centuries of decline, but also three times of prosperity. Researches into the pun, however, have long been marginalized, owing to the mainstream criticism of the pun and its bad reputation. Compared with the metaphormania in the academic field, the significance of the pun, as the interface of such disciplines as rhetoric, phonology, lexicology, semantics, literature, aesthetics, logic, psychology, sociology, ethnography, artificial intelligence and cognitive science, is far from recognition.This dissertation is a tentative effort in this field. Chapter 1 is a general introduction to its definition, long tradition, the dispute, and the status, and Chapter 2 is a review of literature in the academic studies. Chapter 3 provides a basically diachronic perspective of the pun, with particular attention to its tradition in the context of the English or European rhetoric, literature, philosophy and history. Chapter 4 presents a taxonomic analysis of the English pun, ranging from its linguistic features, chief formations, to prominent types. Chapters 5 and 6 are an endeavor to approach the pun from different perspectives, providing interpretations about the interrelation between the pun and semiotics, intentionality, discourse cohesion, speech acts, cooperative principles, psychology, and cognitive science. Chapter 7 serves as a conclusion, which summaries the implications for English pedagogy and sets some prospects for future research.