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Hi all,
Since I've got some spare time I've decided to read Akmajian et al (2001) and I've really been struggling with some concepts in the semantics chapter.
First: is it correct to say that the "linguistic meaning" of something is its literal meaning and is therefore conveyed through the literal use of language whereas the "speaker meaning" is what the speaker implies by saying something (perhaps the communicative purpose) and that it is conveyed through a non-literal use of language?
Second: I understand that irony and sarcasm are both produced whenever a speaker makes a non-literal use of language (in a sort of Gricean what-you-mean as opposed to what-you-say way) but I cannot understand what the difference between them is from the point of view of semantics. Dictionaries have not been of great help on this subject, for example, the Oxford's advanced learner dictionary and the Merriam-Webster dictionary treat them more or less like synonyms, their definitions being something like "the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really think/want to say".
Can somebody try to clarify these issues for me, please? Cheers.
Couldn't you just run with an abridged version of these:
Irony:
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the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
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a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result.
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a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions is clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.
Sarcasm:
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the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
?
I mean sarcasm is an intended action, where as irony can arise situationly without one trying to create it, although in works of fiction it is taken that the event was ironic, the creator was sarcastic, but the event & the work itself not the author & their opinions are often more in focus.
I'm an English prof, so I may use 'irony' and 'sarcasm' in slightly different senses than a linguist. English profs generally love irony, and we write whole books about it.
The difference between irony and sarcasm is primarily a matter of intention. Very broadly speaking, the intent of irony is to point out the difference between the way things are and the way things ought to be. Verbal irony, in the strictest sense, is saying the opposite of what you mean for effect, and it depends on context. If I say to a colleague "I'm really looking forward to grading papers this weekend!" I might be intending mild humor or stressing our shared experience, but mostly I'm implying that in the best of all possible worlds, I wouldn't have to grade papers on the weekend--or perhaps that grading papers would be a lot more fun. There are other ways of being ironic than saying the opposite of what you mean, however. Hyperbole, understatement, and litotes are also forms of irony, but they involve saying something different from what you mean rather than the opposite of what you mean. If I say someone is "not wrong," for example, I don't really mean that they are wrong, but rather that they're right and I'm not especially happy about it.
Sarcasm has a different purpose. It may employ irony, but its purpose is to inflict pain or express bitterness--it derives from the Greek sarkazein, which literally means to "tear flesh." Some authorities say that sarcasm usually involves irony, but that it also includes derogatory language that is literal.
Can you someone please explain the differences of these words to me? in my language we only have one word for this concept