ABSTRACT

This paper examines the nominal category of stage-of-life words used in English address practices and presents an analysis of their interactional uses and meanings made adopting the principles and methods of ethnopragmatics. The paper has a twofold aim: (i) to highlight the polysemous nature of English stage-of-life words and make a clear distinction between their reference and address meanings; and (ii) to show that the address meanings of stage-of-life words reflect their sociopragmatic function in discourse. Using Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) methodology, separate semantic explications are produced for the meanings expressed by each address noun in different interactional contexts. More generally, the present study highlights the interface between semantics, pragmatics and cultural assumptions, showing how this connection can be used as the starting point to conduct a proper ethnography of speaking.

摘要

本文考察了英语称呼实践中使用的生命阶段词的名词类别，并分析了它们采用民族语用学原则和方法的交互用途和意义。本文有两个目的：（i）突出英语阶段性词的多义性，并明确区分它们的指称意义和称呼意义；(ii) 表明生命阶段词的称谓意义反映了它们在话语中的社会语用功能。使用自然语义元语言（NSM）方法，为每个地址名词在不同的交互上下文中表达的含义产生单独的语义解释。更一般地说，本研究强调语义、语用学和文化假设之间的接口，