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2. THE OVERVIEW OF PRAGMATICS
2.1. The Understanding of Pragmatics
Pragmatics is being the study of relation of signs to interpreters. Pragmatics as another branch of linguistic is the study of meaning which relates to the context or the
external meaning of language unit. To get more clear definition about pragmatics, let us look at the following definition below.
Parker 1986:11 as quoted in Wijana 2009:4 states, “Pragmatics is distinct from grammer, which is the study of the internal structure of language. Pragmatics is
the study of how language is used to communicate.”
Levinson 1985:21 in Sudaryat 2009:120 states: Pragmatics is concerned solely with performance principles of language usage
and the disambiguation of sentences by the contexts in which they were uttered.. Pragmatics is the study of the relation between language and the contexts that are
basic to an account of language understanding.
From the definition above, we can conclude that pragmatics is a branch of linguistics which concerns with language use in context and the study of meaning
related to the context or situation. It explains the way language use understood well after connecting it to the situation where, when and by whom it is uttered.
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17 Some experts said that pragmatics is a branch of semiotics which study about
signs and symbols used by man for communicating in a particular language. From the definition above, it seems to be clear that pragmatics is:
1. A single science of language that different from other field since it studies
about the external meaning of language, not the external structure of language.
2. Used as a means that study about one of the functions of language namely
to communicate. 3.
Relating with the context of the language use. It explains the way language use understood well after connecting it to the situation where, when and by
whom it is uttered.
Through pragmatics, one can understand the real meaning of an utterance, the motivation of someone to say something by its relation to the context. Actually, based
on the definition of pragmatics, we can explore some understanding about the facts with which pragmatics deals:
Facts about the objective facts of the utterance: who the speaker is, when the
utterance happened, and where;
Facts about the speaker’s intention. What language the speaker intends to use, what meaning he intends to be using.
Facts about beliefs of the speaker and those to whom he speaks and what are
they talking about.
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Facts about relevant social institutions, such as promising, marriage ceremonies, and the like, which affect what a person accomplishes in or by
saying what he does. There may be question about the relationship between pragmatics and
semantics. Linguistically, the field of both sciences are the same. They study about meaning, but there are some reasons make them different. It would be discussed in
other sub-chapter.
2.2 The Relationship between Pragmatics and Semantics
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