Published 17-04-2025
Keywords
- pragmatics, word meaning, modern English, context, speaker intention, semantics, implicature, ambiguity, dis- course analysis, linguistic interpretation
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Abstract
This paper explores the intricate relationship between pragmatics and word meaning in modern English, emphasizing how
context, speaker intention, and conversational implicature shape semantic interpretation.. However, while traditional
semantics deals with the static meaning of words, pragmatics emphasizes the dynamic character of meaning as being affected
by situational factors. The research provides insight into how the modern English speaker uses our collective knowledge, social
norms, and characteristics of discourse to decipher meaning that goes beyond just the book definition. By examining
real-world cases and contemporary linguistic theories, this study presents the importance of pragmatics in explicating inferred
meanings and ambiguous elements in order to create clearer communicative contexts. In the end, the paper concludes that one
cannot have a full understanding of contemporary English word meaning without a pragmatic perspective.