Thinking vs. Knowing: The Semantics and Pragmatics of Presuppositions

What's the difference between "thinking" and "knowing"? What rules do we follow for adjusting our conversational worlds? In this week's episode, we delve into the semantics and pragmatics of presuppositions: which words come equipped with them, how presuppositions depend on the situation and our mental worlds, and what antipresuppositions can tell us about the mechanics of interpreting sentences.
This is Topic #87!
This week's tag language: Ewe!
Related videos:
How Do Conversations Work? Gricean Maxims - • Pragmatics and Gricean...
How Do We Build Meaning With Math? Set Theory and Adjectives - • How Do We Build Meanin...
How Do We Capture the Truth of Beliefs? Type Theory - • How Do We Capture the ...
Last episode:
How Do We Put Sentences Inside Other Sentences? Complementizer Phrases - • How Do We Put Clauses ...
Other of our semantics and pragmatics videos:
How Do We Create a Shared World in Conversation? Common Ground - • How Do We Create a Sha...
How Does One Greek Letter Help Us Understand Language? Lambda Calculus - • How Can One Greek Lett...
How Do We Signal What's Important in Conversation? Information Structure - • How Do We Signal What'...
Our website also has extra content about this week's topic, discussing why presuppositions are so resilient, at: www.thelingspace.com/episode-87/
Find us on all the social media worlds:
Tumblr: / thelingspace
Twitter: / thelingspace
Facebook: / thelingspace
And at our website, www.thelingspace.com/ !
You can also find our store at the website, thelingspace.storenvy.com/
We also have forums to discuss this episode, and linguistics more generally.
Sources:
Most information in this episode comes from this paper:
semanticsarchive.net/Archive/G...
For more information on scalar implicatures, we also used: web.stanford.edu/class/lingui...
Looking forward to next time!

[@linguaphilly]

omg this is so fascinating, especially this concept of 'common ground'. Sounds like every act of speech is based on the assumption of a shared reality, a shared set of possible worlds except for the one that is being talked about (otherwise the speaker is just stating the obvious). Persuasion, then, is the act of eliminating and creating possible worlds in the mind of someone else. Lol I'm probably wrong but I feel like all of this is something I could ponder for a long time.

[@thelingspace]

That's a really interesting concept! I'd have to think that through more. ^_^

[@umgangssprachler]

Let's say, the main purpose of text is to induce reader's hallucinations. I suppose speech functions in the same mode.

[@keyshaaaa333]

Hi, I'm a French student in Linguistics, and your videos are so helpful - especially the ones about Pragmatics and Semantics ! just wanted to thank you, keep up this great job :)

[@thelingspace]

Thanks so much for the kind words! We really appreciate it. I've passed it on to the team. ^_^

[@ragaire1146]

Éloïse Genaudet hi, i'm student of language linguistics and my research is about(child's pragmatics) can you help me please!

[@aichachccolat08]

That's HOW to do things with words in life.

[@alexmarques4687]

I have been bingeing your videos as of late, and I have to say that your presentation skills have definitely improved over time... and the content is as good as ever :) Keep up the great work

[@Gyroglle]

Damn, before I turned on subtitles I thought your name was O.T. Lieberman.

[@thelingspace]

Yep, you're not the first person to think that based on the intro. The [m]s run together, and Moti's an unusual name, so. ^_^

[@frankharr9466]

I find semantics hard. But MAN, I think I almost have something. Keep it up!

[@KeskinCookin]

Thank you for your videos.

[@khairunnisaalizzati3349]

Hi. Could you tell me, what is the different between presupposition in pragmatics and presupposition in semantics?

[@Nepenthesis]

could u please have more subscribers bc ur videos are 🔥

[@thelingspace]

Thanks so much! Just keep telling people about us, and hopefully we'll get more. ^_^

[@KJYKJY1985]

I recognized your _Breaking Bad_ references and now I can see your _The OA_ references. I'm guessing you almost always use pop culture references and I just haven't gotten most of them.

[@thelingspace]

We're always happy when people get them, though! We do have them for pretty much every episode, but we like a really large number of different things, and some of them are pretty obscure. I don't even think any member of the team knows all of the different references we've done per episode. I'm glad you got these ones. ^_^

[@Wonkyth]

What's that notation with the lambdas? looks like fun! I've only done a small amount of reading on pragmatics, but this looks like it might be a nice place to jump in. :)

[@thelingspace]

It's lambda calculus! Really it's more of a semantics than a pragmatics thing, but it allows us to do a lot. We've already done an episode on it already, so you can try checking that out here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKi6gnewjaeorck

[@Wonkyth]

Thanks! I'll have to do some catching up, apparently! ^_^

[@englishtips6817]

pls how can we answer this question. how does it take to be a semanticist ? pls i need the answers

[@felipevasconcelos6736]

When I think I'm finally understanding something, the lambda comes. Do you have a video introducing this notation?

[@thelingspace]

We do! It's right over here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKi6gnewjaeorck

[@NEWT-17]

Notification squad

[@khadijahibrahim483]

i, useful video!! I need your help :( I have a research in pragmatics about the word Please in English language can you provide me articles that relate to this subject and can you give you Email if i have any question or help?? because i really need help moreover, English language is my second language, i am studying English and i have another question: what is the appropriate theory for the word please?