Decoding Particularized Conversational Implicature in the Movie “Blended”: A Pragmatic Analysis

Öz

This study explores particularized conversational implicatures (PCI) in the romantic comedy film Blended (2014), focusing on how implied meanings arise from specific conversational contexts. Using a qualitative method, nine utterances were identified and analyzed in light of Paul Grice’s theory of implicature. The information was gathered by repeatedly watching and recording the dialogues in the film, then pragmatically interpreting and classifying the implicatures. According to the analysis, particularized conversational implicatures in Blended are often the result of transgressions of the relevance and manner maxims, which are frequently driven by character relationships, humour, sarcasm, or emotional expression. These implicatures illustrate the social and emotional dynamics between characters, enhance comedic effects, and improve interpersonal communication. The findings reveal that most PCI in the film flout the maxims of quantity and relation and function primarily as representative and expressive speech acts. While the data set is limited, the analysis illustrates how context shapes meaning, reflecting characters’ intentions, politeness strategies, and humour. These insights demonstrate the potential of film dialogue as a resource for teaching pragmatics. However, further research with larger data sets is needed to enhance generalizability. The study concludes that particularized implicatures contribute meaningfully to character development and illustrate authentic language use. As such, they can serve as valuable material for teaching pragmatics in language education settings.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Conversational Implicature
• Flouting
• Gricean Maxims
• Implied Meaning
• Pragmatics
• Romantic Comedy

Kaynakça

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