Types of meaning and principles and maxims

Natural meaning

Where we know something follows because of that we know about the world works

Smoke means fire

Non natural meaning

Meaning is where something follows because humans intend them to mean those things

Those spots mean measles (odra)

Communication is a cooperative behavior

Communicators are cooperating in working together to establish what is being cummunicated

Sometimes people do uncooperative things such as lying or deceiving

Cooperative principle

The success of conversation depends on the cooperation between interlocutors

Grove proposes the cooperative principle CP as a guidance between the speakers and listeners in conversational interaction

Observance of maxims

When people are able to fulfill the cooperative principle

Maxims of quality

About truthfulness

1) Do not say what you believe to be false

2) do not say that for which you have inadequate evidence (enough evidence)

Maxims of quantity

1) Make your contribution as informative as is required

2) do not make your contribution more informative as is required

Maxim of relation

Be relevant

Maxim of manner

1) avoid obscurity of expression

2) avoid ambiguity

3) be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity)

4) be orderly