From lojbab Fri Aug 16 23:21:58 1991
Return-Path: <lojbab>
Message-Id: <m0kBHE8-0001w9C@snark.thyrsus.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Aug 91 23:21 EDT
From: lojbab (Bob LeChevalier)
To: conlang@buphy.bu.edu, lojban-list
Subject: grice and pragmatic linguistics
Status: RO

Regarding my recent posting on the speaker/listener relationship in
conlang and lojban-list, I think it useful to post the maxims of the
Cooperative Principle identified by H.P.  Grice, who I've understood
practically founded the study of pragmatics in linguistics.  The
following is the summary by Jerrold M. Saddock in his essay "On Testing
for Conversational Implicature" :  Peter Cole, ed., _Syntax and
Semantics Volume 9. Pragmatics (New York 1978) pp 281-297; esp. pg. 285.

The following maxims are supposed to be observed when people enter into
a conversation:

   The maxim of Quantity ... require[s] the cooperative speaker to say as
   much but no more than is required for his particular purposes in the
   talk exchange.

   The maxim of Quality ...demands that the speaker say only what he
   believes to be true and that for which he has sufficient evidence.

   The maxim of Relation urges the speaker to make his conversation relevant.

   The maxim of Manner cautions the speaker to be methodical and to avoid
   ambiguity, prolixity, and obscurity.

For conlangers, my posting today in response to sarima could have added
that Lojban is especially true to the maxim of Manner - making it easy
to avoid ambiguity, prolixity, and obscurity.  I see nothing in the
other maxims that constrain Lojban's usefulness in any manner of
conversational communication.

I would be interested in whether any other constructed languages or
constructors of languages have considered or addressed the problems of
pragmatics in communication.  This is an area where ideas are needed.

I trust that I have not violated any maxims in posting this.

lojbab