Implicature:
* Mechanism: Based on conversational maxims (Grice's Maxims of Quantity, Quality, Relation, and Manner) and the assumption that the speaker is trying to be cooperative and informative.
* Focus: Implied meaning that is not explicitly stated, but can be inferred from the context and the speaker's intentions.
* Example: "It's getting cold in here." This statement literally conveys the temperature, but the implicature could be a request to close the window.
Indirect Speech Act:
* Mechanism: Based on the conventional relationship between a literal utterance and its intended meaning.
* Focus: Performing an action (e.g., requesting, suggesting, demanding) using an utterance that typically expresses a different action.
* Example: "Could you close the window?" This sentence literally asks about the listener's ability, but the indirect speech act is a request to close the window.
Here's a table summarizing the key differences:
| Feature | Implicature | Indirect Speech Act |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | Conversational maxims | Conventional relationship between utterance and meaning |
| Focus | Implied meaning | Performing an action |
| Example | "It's getting cold in here." | "Could you close the window?" |
In summary:
* Implicature involves inferring meaning based on context and cooperative principles.
* Indirect speech acts involve using an utterance to perform a different action than what is literally expressed.
While both can overlap in some cases, understanding the distinction helps us to better analyze and interpret communication in different contexts.