Channell, Joanna [1994] Vague Language, Oxford University Press.
Description
This book is the first major descriptive study of linguistic vagueness. It argues that strategies for being vague constitute a key aspect of the communicative competence of the native speaker of English. The description draws on naturally-occurring language data, and examines syntactic, intonational, semantic, and pragmatic characteristics of vague language, as well as the conversational effects which arise from its use. The book concludes with a review of descriptive and theoretical issues raised, and a discussion of insights for pedagogy.
Readership: Essential reading for students, teachers, and teacher trainers of linguistics and language studies.
Contents/contributors
Acknowledgements
The author and series editors
Foreword
Text data, its sources, and presentation
Chapter 1
What is vague language?
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Defining vague language
1.3 Vagueness and communication
1.4 The treatment of vague language in this book
1.5 A working definition of vague language
1.6 The place of vagueness in the study of language
1.7 Organization of the book
Chapter 2
Theory and methodology of the study of vague language
2.1 Idealization
2.2 Meaning and what it means to study meaning
2.3 Levels of analysis of language
2.4 Making judgements about language
2.5 Distinguishing between semantics and pragmatics
2.6 Semantics
2.7 Representations of meaning
2.8 Pragmatics
2.9 'Context' and 'pragmatics'
2.10 Vagueness versus ambiguity
2.11 Methodology
2.12 Examples and other data
2.13 Transcription of recorded data
Chapter 3
Approximating quantities with numbers and approximators
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The general meaning of approximator and n structures
3.3 About, around and round
Distribution and structure
Meaning
3.4 Approximately
Distribution
Meaning
3.5 n or m
Intonation
Distribution
Meaning
3.6 n or so
Distribution
Meaning
3.7 Partial specifiers
3.8 Combinations of approximators
3.9 Numbers in approximations
Approximators with and without round numbers
3.10 Implicatures and entailments of approximator + n structures
3.11 Cross-linguistic comparison
3.12 Summary
Chapter 4
Approximating quantities with round numbers
4.1 Using a precise number with a vague meaning
4.2 'Round' numbers = reference point numbers
4.3 'Faded' numbers as approximations
4.4 How do we know when an apparently exact number is an approximation?
4.5 Exaggeration
4.6 Using a plural number name to approximate a quantity
Meaning
4.7 Cross-linguistic comparison
4.8 Summary
Chapter 5
Approximating quantities with non-numerical vague quantifiers
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Approach
5.3 Plural quantifier + of + noun
Bags (of)
Loads (of)
Lots (of)
Masses (of)
Oodles (of)
5.4 A + singular quantifier (+ of + noun)
A bit of
A load of
A lot (of)
A mass of
A scrap (of)
A touch of
5.5 Other uses of pseudopartitives
5.6 Vague quantifier + countable noun
(A) few
Some
Several
Many
Umpteen
5.7 Adverbs of frequency
5.8 Summary
Chapter 6
Referring vaguely to categories
6.1 Introduction
6.2 An outline analysis
6.3 Testing for the meaning of vague category identifiers
Method
Results and discussion
Responses to items in Rosch's categories
Responses to real examples
General conclusions from the results
6.4 The structure of the tags
6.5 Structure of exemplar + tag
Noun phrase + tag
Verb phrase + tag
Embedded sentence + tag
Prepositional phrase + tag
Adjectives, adverbs + tags
Intonation and vague tagging
6.6 Co-occurrence restrictions
6.7 Summary
Chapter 7
Thingy and whatsisname: placeholder words
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Examples
Thingy
Thingummy, thingummyjig, thingummabob
Whatsisname
Whatnot
Whosit
Whatsit
7.3 Semantics and pragmatics
7.4 Summary
Chapter 8
The uses of vague language
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Analytical approach
8.3 Three scenarios showing vagueness
Eighty or so pence
Elaborated code and things like that
Humorous effects
8.4 Giving the right amount of information
8.5 Deliberately withholding information
8.6 Using language persuasively
8.7 Lexical gaps
8.8 Lacking specific information
8.9 Displacement
8.10 Self-protection
8.11 Power and politeness
8.12 Informality and atmosphere
8.13 Women's language
8.14 Summary
Chapter 9
Going beyond the information given
9.1 Summary
9.2 Implications for language understanding
Vagueness and categorization
9.3 Language and the world
9.4 Consequences for linguistics
9.5 Applications of the study of vague language in English
English language teaching
Communication skills teaching
Vagueness and politeness
Lexicography
9.6 An exercise on the analysis of vague language
9.7 Looking forward
Bibliography
Glossary
Index