THE ROLE OF ENCYCLOPEDIC KNOWLEDGE AND CONTEXT IN CREATING MEANING
THE ROLE OF ENCYCLOPEDIC KNOWLEDGE AND CONTEXT IN CREATING MEANING

Summary/Abstract: This paper, set in the cognitive linguistic framework presents and discusses the role of encyclopedic knowledge and context in inferring meaning, setting the issue in the context of the previous relevant research related to cognitive linguistics, cognitive pragmatics and the socio-cognitive approach, all of which are usage-based. Everyday communication is largely implicit and is often based on non-literal, indirect or vague linguistic expressions and requires an active involvement of both speakers and hearers in order to construe the intended meaning. We differentiate between direct and indirect communication, and recognize three subtypes of indirect communication: non-literal, illocutionary and vague. Also, we define three main components of encyclopedic knowledge: experiential, pragmatic and cultural. Overall, the privilege goes to pragmatics, which encompasses semantics as well.

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