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Welcome to another fascinating aspect in the field of Pragmatics. I’m sure you
have read our post on Pragmatics. In this post titled, Presupposition – Meaning,
Types and Examples, we shall delve into the concept of presupposition; an
interesting linguistic phenomenon that plays a very crucial role in
communication, especially, in our day-to-day conversations, shaping the way we
communicate and interpret meaning.
Lexical Presupposition
Lexical presupposition arises from the choice of words or expressions used in a
sentence. These words carry embedded presupposed information that the
speaker assumes to be true.
• John regrets selling his car. (This presupposes that John owned a
car.)
• The book is still on the shelf. (Presupposes that the book was
previously on the shelf.)
• Sarah stopped smoking. (Presupposes that Sarah used to smoke in
the past.)
• I want another cup of coffee. (Presupposes that the speaker has
already had a cup of coffee.)
Structural Presupposition
Structural presupposition stems from the way sentences are structured, implying
certain background information. That is, it relies on the structure or grammar of a
sentence and assumes the existence of certain elements or relationships based
on the sentence construction. We can say that specific linguistic constructions
generate these presuppositions.
• Did you buy milk? (Presupposes that the listener had the intention or
responsibility to buy milk.)
• You’re still working on that project? (Presupposes that the listener
was previously working on the project.)
Existential Presupposition
Existential presupposition involves assuming the existence or non-existence of
certain entities. The sentence presupposes the existence of something; that is, it
suggests that a particular entity or condition is assumed to be true or present.
• Sara regrets eating the entire cake. (Presupposes that Sara indeed
ate the entire cake.)
• The professor denies the accusations. (Presupposes that there are
accusations made against the professor.)
Non-Factive Presupposition
Non-factive presupposition assumes that a proposition is not true or not
accepted as a fact. It implies that the speaker acknowledges or entertains an idea
or statement without endorsing its truthfulness.
• Peter thinks unicorns are real. (Presupposes that Peter holds the
belief in the existence of unicorns, but it doesn’t imply that unicorns
are real.)
• The article claims that aliens have visited Earth. (Presupposes that the
article makes the claim, but it doesn’t guarantee the truthfulness of
the claim.)
Counter-Factual Presupposition
Counter-factual presupposition assumes that a hypothetical or contrary-to-fact
situation is true for the sake of argument or discussion. It implies that the
presupposed situation does not align with reality.
• If I were taller, I could reach the top shelf. (Presupposes that the
speaker is not tall enough to reach the top shelf.)
• She would have passed the exam if she had studied. (Presupposes
that she did not study and therefore did not pass the exam.)
Active Presupposition
Active presupposition refers to the presupposition triggered by specific linguistic
constructions. It involves the assumption of certain information based on the
form or structure of the sentence. This is like a structural or lexical presupposition
• John’s new car is faster than his old one. (Presupposes that John has
both a new car and an old car.)
• The baby didn’t cry. (Presupposes that there is a baby involved, even
though it doesn’t specify whose baby it is.)
Anaphoric Presupposition
Anaphoric presupposition occurs when a pronoun or a definite description in a
sentence presupposes the existence of an antecedent or a referent that is already
mentioned or established in the discourse. It relies on the context to make sense.
Conventional Implicature
There is one more type of presupposition called Conventional Implicature. While
not strictly a presupposition in the same sense as the previous types,
conventional implicature involves additional meaning that is implied by specific
linguistic expressions or conventions. It is not a presupposition that is necessarily
triggered by a particular word or phrase but rather arises from conventional
usage or implicatures associated with certain expressions.
• John ate some of the cookies, but not all of them. (The use of “but
not all of them” conventionally implies that John did not eat all of
the cookies.)
• Sarah is a vegetarian, but she still eats fish. (The phrase “but she still
eats fish” conventionally implies that fish is an exception to the
vegetarian diet.)
Conventional implicatures rely on shared linguistic conventions or pragmatic
inferences to convey additional meaning beyond the literal interpretation of the
words used. They are not presuppositions in the same sense as the previous
types but still contribute to the overall meaning and understanding of a sentence
or utterance. There is a further discussion on conventional implicature worth
looking at.
Presupposition Triggers
Some specific linguistic elements or constructions often trigger underlying
assumptions or presuppositions in a statement. There are four (4) main
presupposition triggers. They include the following:
Lexical Triggers
These are specific words or phrases that inherently carry presuppositions. For
example, words like “again,” “still,” or “already” presuppose a previous occurrence
or state.
Structural Triggers
These triggers involve sentence structures or grammatical constructions that
imply certain presuppositions.
Examples include:
Cleft sentences
• It was John who ate the cake.
Comparative constructions
• Mary is taller than her sister.
Embedded clauses
• I regret that I missed the meeting.
Semantic Triggers
These triggers rely on the semantic properties of certain words or phrases to
convey presuppositions.
Pragmatic Triggers
Pragmatic triggers depend on the context or pragmatic interpretation of a
statement to uncover presuppositions. They involve implicatures, entailments or
shared knowledge between the speaker and the listener.
For instance:
Definite Descriptions
Definite descriptions refer to noun phrases that identify a specific entity or
referent. They presuppose the existence of the entity being referred to.
For example:
For instance:
• George stopped smoking
In the sentence, the verb “stopped” presupposes that George was previously
smoking or used to smoke.
For example:
• Mary regrets eating that cake. (Presupposes that Mary did eat the
cake.)
So, when next you engage in a conversation, pay close attention to the
presuppositions embedded in the language and uncover the hidden layers of
meaning they convey. Do not forget to share this post with your circle of friends.
See you around!