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The Role of Inference in Diachronic Change in Conversational Implicature
1School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China.
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 26, 2026
Summary
This study examines how inference drives semantic change in conversational implicature. It identifies three inference types—ad hoc, entrenched, and conventionalized—that shape meaning evolution over time.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
- Semantics
Background:
- Conversational implicature is a key area in pragmatics, exploring how meaning is conveyed beyond literal utterances.
- Diachronic change, the study of language evolution over time, offers insights into semantic shifts.
- Understanding the cognitive mechanisms behind inferential processes is crucial for explaining language change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of inference in the diachronic change of conversational implicature using a case study of *liǎnhóng*.
- To propose and differentiate three types of inference: ad hoc, entrenched, and conventionalized.
- To elucidate the distinct contributions of each inference type to semantic change.
Main Methods:
- Case study analysis of *liǎnhóng*.
- Identification and categorization of inferential processes.
- Corpus-based diachronic analysis to trace semantic evolution.
Main Results:
- Inference is triggered by cognitive processes rather than strict principles.
- Ad hoc inference generates particularized conversational implicatures (PCIs), entrenched inference converts PCIs to generalized conversational implicatures (GCIs), and conventionalized inference develops GCIs into new coded meanings.
- Context and conventions play distinct roles across different inferential stages.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates a clear pathway for semantic change driven by inferential processes in conversational implicature.
- It highlights the interconnectedness of ad hoc, entrenched, and conventionalized inference in language evolution.
- Findings underscore the dynamic interplay between cognitive processes, context, and convention in shaping linguistic meaning over time.
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