Scalar Implicature: A Saussure's System-based Approach

This study is intended to argue that scalar implicature is the system-based default meaning within Saussure's thought of language as a system. It maintains that scalar implicature is generated by the conventional language system in the way that the hearer's unconscious and automatic inference relies on his or her convention-based reasoning. It is clearly indicated in the present study that Saussure's thought of language as a system provides a new perspective on the analysis of scalar implicature.The dissertation is divided into seven major chapters.Chapter One briefly introduces scalar implicature and the imperfections of Grice's theory of conversational implicature on it. Scalar implicature is generated in terms of semantic relations between or among linguistic expressions in scalar sets. Grice's theory of conversational implicature has little explanatory power on this type of implicatures, because the two-sided nature of scalar implicature is contradictory to the strict division between what is said and what is implicated. After pointing out the imperfections of the Gricean theory, the chapter presents the major concerns of the present study.Chapter Two is a background study, mainly focusing on issues and debates about scalar implicature in post-Gricean pragmatics. Post-Griceans differ widely in their opinions on scalar implicature. Neo-Griceans believe that scalar implicature is one type of generalized conversational implicatures: Horn considers scalar implicature as one aspect of speaker meaning, whereas Levinson regards scalar implicature as the context-independent default inference. Relevance theorists, on the contrary, make no categorical distinction between generalized and particularized conversational implicatures and argue that scalar implicature is one type of explicatures. Some other post-Griceans disagree with them. For example, Hirschberg points out that scalar implicature is one type of context-sensitive particularized conversational implicatures, and, in Jaszczolt's view, scalar implicature is the cognitive default. Bach treats scalar implicature as one type of implicitures. Whatever divergent views they hold, post-Griceans agree that scalar implicature is the enriched meaning of what is said. Following the literature review, this chapter puts forward the idea that Saussure's thought of language as a system can be used to account for scalar implicature.Chapter Three sets up a theoretical framework based on Saussure's thought of language as a system. Language is a system of signs which are made by the combinations of conceptual and phonic terms. The signs in the language system form two kinds of relations: syntagmatic and associative relations. Scalar implicature is internally connected with associative relations within which the system, terms and signs are manifested as a schema-instance complex. In this regard, two relationships have been proposed: the system-sign relationship and the sign-sign relationship. The first relationship suggests that signs in one semantic system are opposed to each other, and the second relationship suggests that there are different semantic relations which associate linguistic signs with each other. What's more, language is a conventional system, and conventions govern both the internal organization of the language system and the stereotypical use of language.Chapter Four analyzes associative sets of semantic relations as a whole in terms of the system-sign relationship. Based on the system-sign relationship, we create a new notion—associative set which is a semantic subsystem of signs whose existences depend on their being opposed. In each associative set, linguistic signs negatively contrast with each other in virtue of their sharing the same superordinate categories, i.e. higher-order terms. Such an analysis shows that the use of any sign in the associative set means the negation of any other sign of that set. That is, A is not B in a logical representation.Chapter Five analyzes associative sets based on the sign-sign relationship. There are two main semantic relations that associate linguistic signs with each other in associative sets: entailment and non-entailment relations, based on which associative sets are classified into ranked and non-ranked ones. It demonstrates that implicatures produced by associative sets are called"associative implicatures". In the ranked associative sets, signs hold unequal semantic strength, and the use of a semantically weaker sign implicates the negation of that of a semantically stronger sign. Implicatures produced by the ranked associative sets are called"ranked associative implicatures". In the non-ranked associative sets, signs are of equal semantic strength, and the use of a sign implicates the negation of that of another sign, and vice versa. Implicatures produced by the non-ranked associative sets are called"non-ranked associative implicatures". The so-called scalar implicature is in fact one of the two types of associative implicatures.Chapter Six discusses how to interpret scalar implicature within Saussure's thought of language as a system of conventions. The associative set is a semantic system, and its organization is in strict conformity with conventions of language. Hence, scalar implicature is defaulted by the conventional system of language. Linguistic communication is a reasoning process of how the speaker's intentional meaning is inferred. The conventional system which generates scalar implicature is shared by speakers and hearers, and it is conventions that provide a shortcut for the hearer to infer this type of meanings. The hearer relies on"convention-based reasoning"to infer scalar implicature.Chapter Seven summarizes major ideas of the present study and points out certain limitations and future trends of the present study. This study has made certain contributions. First, it is the first attempt to propose that scalar implicature is the system-based default meaning within Saussure's thought of language as a system. Second, it argues that the notion"scalar implicature"should be given away to"associative implicature"so as to form a coherent theoretical model. In this regard, it rescues Horn's theory on scales. Third, it makes a distinction between two types of reasoning and proposes that convention-based reasoning is the inferential mechanism of generalized conversational implicatures such as scalar implicature.