G.L. Roberts and J.B. Bavelas (1996): "The communicative dictionary:
a collaborative theory of meaning"
Previous theories:
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1: Meaning is 'in' words
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2: Meaning is 'in' words and their context
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3: Meaning is 'in' speaker's intentions
Their Theory:
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4: Meaning is created by and for interlocutors: a collaborative theory
of meaning
1) Why isn't "meaning 'in' words"?
Because:
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1) words are arbitrary: different words in different languages
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2) words are polysemic
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3) words are not independent of uses and users
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4) speech is often 'not proper'
2) Why isn't "meaning 'in' words and their context"?
Because:
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1) What IS the context?
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2) (i) Static physical context
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is merged with
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(ii) Dynamic, social context
3) Why isn't "meaning is 'in' the speaker's intention"?
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-Famous quotation: "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in a rather
scornful tone, "it means what I choose it to mean-neither more nor less."
(Lewis Carroll, in "Through the looking glass and what Alice found there")
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-Roberts and Bavelas's objection:
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-Hearer only plays a minor part in communication.
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-Simply 'catches or misses the ball thrown'
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-What if hearer responds to "Can you pass the salt?" with "Yes"?
4) What is meant by saying "meaning is created by and for the interlocutors"?
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-the meaning of an utterance depends on both the speaker and the addressee
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-it exists only "in" their interaction.
Clark and Schaefer (1987) - a unit of conversation they called a contribution:
a three-part process:
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-(a) A presents u for B to consider.
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-(b) B accepts u.
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-(c) A accepts that B accepts u.
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-(a) During the presentation phase, A places her utterance u into
consideration.
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-(b) During the acceptance phase, B needs to accept u in a unilateral
acceptance.
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-(c) For mutual acceptance, however, A must accept that B has actually
understood. (p. 127).
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-Roberts and Bavelas apply these three steps to the establishment of meaning.
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-See Fig 1 below: the process of "semantic collaboration"
