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Báo cáo khoa học: "CONVERSATIONALLY RELEVANT DESCRIPTIONS"

Conversationally relevant descriptions are definite descriptions that are not merely tools for the identificationof a referent, but are also crucial to the discourse in other respects. I analyze the uses of such descriptions in assertions as conveying a particular ~ype of conversational implicatures. Such implicstures can be represented within the framework of possible world semantics. The analysis is extended to non-assertive illocutionary acts on the one hand, and to indefinite descriptions on the other. . | CONVERSATIONALLY RELEVANT DESCRIPTIONS Amichai Kronfeld Natural Language Incorporated 2910 Seventh St. Berkeley CA 94710 1 Abstract Conversationally relevant descriptions are definite descriptions that are not merely tools for the identification of a referent but are also crucial to the discourse in other respects. Ỉ analyse the uses of such descriptions in assertions as conveying a particular type of conversational implicatures. Such implica-tures can be represented within the framework of possible world semantics. The analysis is extended to non-assertive illocutionary acts on the one hand and to indefinite descriptions on the other. 2 Introduction In an earlier paper Kronfeld 1986 I have introduced the distinction between functionally and conversationally relevant descriptions. All uses of definite descriptions for the purpose of referring are functional in the sense that they are supposed to identify the referent. But some uses of definite descriptions exhibit a type of relevance or irrelevance that goes beyond identification purposes. Consider the following example. As part of his effort to recruit more young people into the police force the mayor of New York proclaims in a public speech 1 New York needs more policemen. Instead of New York he might have used The Big Apple or The city by the Hudson or some such description. It would not do however to say that 2 The city with the world s largest Jewish community needs more policemen even though this description might be useful enough in identifying New York for the audience. It is simply irrelevant in this context. On the other hand 60 this same description might be quite relevant in a different context. For example suppose the mayor were giving a speech at a reception in honor of Israel s Prime Minister. Under those circumstances the statement 3 The city with the world s largest Jewish community welcomes Israel s Prime Minister. would make perfect sense. The difference of course is in the relevance of the .