Implicature Among Related Semantic Phenomena

Abstract

The study of subtextual phenomena is crucial in modern linguistics for understanding implicit meaning in literary discourse. While implicature, presupposition, and implication have been individually explored, their comparative semantic features within literary text analysis remain insufficiently studied. There is a lack of integrated theoretical frameworks explaining how implicature differs from other implicit meaning types in literary interpretation. This article aims to analyze implicature among related semantic phenomena such as implication and presupposition, clarifying their roles in decoding hidden meanings within texts. The study finds that implicatures convey non-literal meanings requiring inference from context and background knowledge, while presuppositions are propositional assumptions perceived as self-evident by both producer and recipient. Implication operates as a logical connection represented in microcontexts but is distinct from meaning itself. The research offers a theoretical synthesis differentiating these semantic categories, emphasizing that implicatures are generated during speech acts rather than existing as background propositions. This analysis contributes to linguistic semantics by enhancing interpretive strategies for subtextual reading and informing future research on decoding implicit structures in literature, thereby deepening understanding of semantic multilayeredness in literary texts.