The Semantic And Pragmatic Explorations On Hedges In Political Discourses

On the basis of an all-round introduction to theories of fuzzy linguistics, the thesis pinpoints its research focus upon hedges. As a tool effective in yielding special semantic and pragmatic effects through promoting linguistic fuzziness, hedges are widely applied to various discourses, and thus hold tight a high position in the fuzzy linguistics research. In the thesis, political discourses are picked up as a target background of research, where hedges are explored from both semantic and pragmatic perspectives so that certain facets of hedges that are worthy of academic investigations should be revealed.The thesis defines hedges as a special class of determiners that render the determined sentential parts fuzzy or fuzzier and demonstrates the wide use of hedges in political discourses through typical examples. Political hedges stimulate a variety of semantic effects, on the basis of which, hedges can be categorized into four types, namely, Manner, Degree, Scope and Property Hedges and several subtypes, for example, Emphasizers, Amplifiers, Downtoners, etc. The thesis deliberates on semantic functions of political hedges according to the subtype hedges fall into.Political hedges are pragmatical in nature. The thesis starts with the classical Gricean theories in disclosing pragmatic effects of political hedges. Firstly, the thesis elucidates four principal pragmatic functions of political hedges under the framework of the four maxims subordinate to Grice's Cooperative Principle. The research suggests that political hedges facilitate either obeying or flouting these maxims to produce pragmatic effects and accomplish statesmen's communicative and political purposes. Secondly, from a rather macro perspective of Conversational Implicature, the thesis puts forward Cancellation and Persuasion functions of political hedges, which are fulfilled by hedges like kind of, groundlessly and in a sense, etc. It can be recognized that hedges, as markers, helps to guarantee a sound development of drawing implications. Meanwhile, the Theory of Relevance can work as a cognizing mechanism of political hedges'pragmatic functions. Under the framework, the thesis points out that political hedges exert the function of relevance in two aspects. Firstly, contextual functions involve contextual implications, contradictions and strengthenings. Secondly, political hedges facilitate the establishment of relevance through choice of assumptions and working as relevance stimuli.Through the semantic and pragmatic explorations on political hedges, the author holds that hedges are of great instructional significance to the research on other discourses. A more in-depth investigation to hedges should further addressees'understanding of communicative functions of discourses, and thus help them to have a more skilled operation of various discourses. As a conclusion, the thesis proposes that linguistic theories can disclose hidden facts behind superficial linguistic phenomena and help addressees to take initiatives in cognizing society and nature through language. This is where the practical significance of linguistic theories should lie.