1887
Volume 6, Issue 2
  • ISSN 2213-1272
  • E-ISSN: 2213-1280
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

This article shows the role of verbal irony in conflict talk among relatives and friends. Excerpts from ten naturally occurring multiparty conversations among relatives and friends were analyzed. The analysis shows that the introduction of verbal irony in the conversation by one of the participants can: (1) end the conflict between two other participants by switching the topic of the interaction; (2) extend the conflict; (3) fail to alter the trajectory of the conflict sequence because one of the participants does not acknowledge the irony; (4) defuse a dispute about an unpleasant topic for one or two of the participants; or (5) initiate a dispute among relatives and/or friends whose relationship is not a friendly one. The analysis in this article is qualitative rather than quantitative; the tendencies presented are not based on frequency.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/jlac.00014.kal
2018-11-26
2025-02-14
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Alvarado Ortega, María Belén
    2005 “La ironía y la cortesía: una aproximación desde sus efectos [Irony and Politeness: an Approximation from Its Effects].” Estudios de Lingüística de la Universidad de Alicante (ELUA)19: 33–47. 10.14198/ELUA2005.19.02
    https://doi.org/10.14198/ELUA2005.19.02 [Google Scholar]
  2. 2009 “Ironía y cortesía.” [Irony and Politeness]. InDime cómo ironizas y te diré quién eres. Una aproximación pragmática a la ironía, edited byLeonor Ruiz Gurillo, and Xose A. Padilla García, 333–345. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Attardo, Salvatore
    2000 “Irony as Relevant Inappropriateness.” Journal of Pragmatics32: 793–826. 10.1016/S0378‑2166(99)00070‑3
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-2166(99)00070-3 [Google Scholar]
  4. Attardo, Salvatore, Jodi Eisterhold, Jennifer Hay, and Isabella Poggi
    2003 “Multimodal Markers of Irony and Sarcasm.” HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research16 (2): 243–260. 10.1515/humr.2003.012
    https://doi.org/10.1515/humr.2003.012 [Google Scholar]
  5. Attardo, Salvatore, and Victor Raskin
    1991 “Script Theory Revis(it)ed: Joke Similarity and Joke Representation Model.” Humor4: 293–347. 10.1515/humr.1991.4.3‑4.293
    https://doi.org/10.1515/humr.1991.4.3-4.293 [Google Scholar]
  6. Baena, Elisa
    2005 A Pragmatic Study on Verbal Irony in Spanish. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Chicago.
  7. Barbe, Katharina
    1995Irony in Context. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: Benjamins. 10.1075/pbns.34
    https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.34 [Google Scholar]
  8. Brown, Penelope, and Stephen C. Levinson
    [1978]1987Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Bryant, Gregory A., and Fox Jean E. Tree
    2002 “Recognizing Verbal Irony in Spontaneous Speech.” Metaphor and Symbol17(2): 99–117. 10.1207/S15327868MS1702_2
    https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327868MS1702_2 [Google Scholar]
  10. Bryant, Gregory A., and Jean E. Fox Tree
    2005 “Is There an Ironic Tone of Voice.” Language and Speech48 (3): 257–277. 10.1177/00238309050480030101
    https://doi.org/10.1177/00238309050480030101 [Google Scholar]
  11. Clark, Herbert H., and Richard J. Gerrig
    1984 “On the Pretense Theory of Irony.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: General113: 121:12610.1037/0096‑3445.113.1.121
    https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.113.1.121 [Google Scholar]
  12. Clift, Rebecca
    1999 “Irony in Conversation.” Language in Society28: 523–553. 10.1017/S0047404599004029
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404599004029 [Google Scholar]
  13. Colston, Herbert L.
    1997 “Salting a Wound or Sugaring Pill: The Pragmatic Function of Ironic Criticisms.” Discourse Processes23: 24–45. 10.1080/01638539709544980
    https://doi.org/10.1080/01638539709544980 [Google Scholar]
  14. Colston, Herbert L., and Shauna B. Keller
    1998 “You’ll Never Believe This: Irony and Hyperbole in Expressing Surprise.” Journal of Psycholinguistic Research27: 499–513. 10.1023/A:1023229304509
    https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023229304509 [Google Scholar]
  15. Colston, Herbert L., and Sabrina Y. Lee
    2004 “Gender Differences in Verbal Irony Use.” Metaphor and Symbol19: 289–306. 10.1207/s15327868ms1904_3
    https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327868ms1904_3 [Google Scholar]
  16. Colston, Herbert L., and Jennifer O’Brien
    2000 “Contrast and Pragmatics in Figurative Language: Anything Understatement Can Do, Irony Can Do Better.” Journal of Pragmatics32: 1557–1583. 10.1016/S0378‑2166(99)00110‑1
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-2166(99)00110-1 [Google Scholar]
  17. Coser, Rose L.
    1959 “Some Social Functions of Laughter.” Human Relations12: 171–182. 10.1177/001872675901200205
    https://doi.org/10.1177/001872675901200205 [Google Scholar]
  18. Coulter, Jeff
    1999 “Elementary Properties of Arguments Sequences.” InInteraction Competence, edited byG. Psathas, 181–204. Washington, DC: University Press of America.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Cutler, Anne
    1974 “On Saying What You Mean without Meaning What You Say.” Paper presented at10th Regional Meeting of the Chicago Linguistic Society, 117–127.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Dews, Shelley, Joan Kaplan, and Ellen Winner
    1995 “Why Not Say It Directly? The Social Functions of Irony.” Discourse Processes19: 347–367. 10.1080/01638539509544922
    https://doi.org/10.1080/01638539509544922 [Google Scholar]
  21. Dews, Shelly, and Ellen Winner
    1995 “Muting the Meaning: A Social Function of Irony.” Metaphor and Symbolic Activity10: 3–19. 10.1207/s15327868ms1001_2
    https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327868ms1001_2 [Google Scholar]
  22. 1999 “Muting the Meaning: A Social Function of Irony.” Metaphor and Symbolic Activity10: 3–19.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Dynel, Marta
    2013 “When Does Irony Tickle the Hearer? Towards Capturing the Characteristics of Humorous Irony.” InDevelopments in Linguistic Humour Theory, edited byMarta Dynel, 289–320. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. 10.1075/thr.1.14dyn
    https://doi.org/10.1075/thr.1.14dyn [Google Scholar]
  24. 2014 “Isn’t It Ironic? Defining the Scope of Humorous Irony.” HUMOR: International Journal of Humor Research27: 619–639. 10.1515/humor‑2014‑0096
    https://doi.org/10.1515/humor-2014-0096 [Google Scholar]
  25. Gibbs, Raymond
    1986 “Comprehension and Memory for Nonliteral Utterances: The Problem of Sarcastic Indirect Requests.” Acta Psychologica62: 41–57. 10.1016/0001‑6918(86)90004‑1
    https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-6918(86)90004-1 [Google Scholar]
  26. 2000 “Irony in Talk among Friends.” Metaphor and Symbol15: 5–27. 10.1080/10926488.2000.9678862
    https://doi.org/10.1080/10926488.2000.9678862 [Google Scholar]
  27. Gibbs, Raymond W. Jr, and Jennifer O’Brien
    1991 “Inferring Meanings at Are Not Intended: Speaker’s Intentions and Irony Comprehension.” Discourse Processes20: 187–203. 10.1080/01638539509544937
    https://doi.org/10.1080/01638539509544937 [Google Scholar]
  28. Giora, Rachel
    1995 “On Irony and Negation.” Discourse Processes19: 239–264. 10.1080/01638539509544916
    https://doi.org/10.1080/01638539509544916 [Google Scholar]
  29. Jorgensen, Julia
    1996 “The Function of Sarcastic Irony in Speech.” Journal of Pragmatics26: 613–634. 10.1016/0378‑2166(95)00067‑4
    https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-2166(95)00067-4 [Google Scholar]
  30. Kalbermatten, María Isabel
    2006 Verbal Irony as a Prototype Category in Spanish: A Discursive Analysis. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota.
  31. 2010 “Humor in Verbal Irony.” InDialogue in Spanish: Studies in Functions and Contexts, edited byDale Koike, and Lidia Rodríguez-Alfano, 69–87. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. 10.1075/ds.7.05kal
    https://doi.org/10.1075/ds.7.05kal [Google Scholar]
  32. 2013 “Análisis discursivo de las funciones de la ironía verbal en conversaciones entre familiares y amigos de Santa Fe [Discoursive Analysis of Verbal Irony’s Functions in Conversations among Relatives and Friends from Santa Fe].” InPerspectivas teóricas y experimentales sobre el español de la Argentina, edited byLaura Colantoni, and Celeste Rodríguez-Louro, 523–536. Madrid / Frankfurt: Iberoamericana / Vervuert.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. 2015 “Marcas e indicadores de la ironía en conversaciones entre familiares y amigos de Santa Fe (Argentina) [Markers and Indicators of Verbal Irony in Conversations among Relatives and Friends from Santa Fe (Argentina)].” InContribuções para os estudios linguísticos e filológicos, edited byDermeval da Hora, Juliene Lopes R. Pedrosa, and Rubens M. Lucena, 2071–2114. João Pessoa: Ideia.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Kotthoff, Helga
    2003 “Responding to Irony in Different Contexts: On Cognition in Conversation.” Journal of Pragmatics35: 1387–1411. 10.1016/S0378‑2166(02)00182‑0
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-2166(02)00182-0 [Google Scholar]
  35. Kreuz, Roger J., Debra L. Long, and Mary B. Church
    1991 “On Being Ironic: Pragmatic and Mnemonic Implications.” Metaphor and Symbolic Activity6 (3): 149–162. 10.1207/s15327868ms0603_1
    https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327868ms0603_1 [Google Scholar]
  36. Kreuz, Roger J., and Sam Glucksberg
    1989 “How to Be Sarcastic. The Echoic Remainder Theory.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: General118: 374–386. 10.1037/0096‑3445.118.4.374
    https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-3445.118.4.374 [Google Scholar]
  37. Kreuz, Roger J., and Richard M. Roberts
    1995 “Two Cues for Verbal Irony: Hyperbole and the Ironic Tone of Voice.” Metaphor and Symbolic Activity10: 21–31. 10.1207/s15327868ms1001_3
    https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327868ms1001_3 [Google Scholar]
  38. Lee, Christopher J., and Albert N. Katz
    1998 “The Differential Role of Ridicule in Sarcasm and Irony.” Metaphor and Symbol13: 1–15. 10.1207/s15327868ms1301_1
    https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327868ms1301_1 [Google Scholar]
  39. Levinson, Stephen C.
    1983Pragmatics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511813313
    https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511813313 [Google Scholar]
  40. Matthews, Jacqueline K., Jeffrey T. Hancock, and Philip J. Dunham
    2006 “The Roles of Politeness and Humor in the Asymmetry of Affect in Verbal Irony.” Discourse Processes41: 3–24. 10.1207/s15326950dp4101_2
    https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326950dp4101_2 [Google Scholar]
  41. Maynard, Douglas W.
    1985 “How Children Start Arguments.” Language in Society14: 1–29. 10.1017/S0047404500010915
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404500010915 [Google Scholar]
  42. Muntigl, Peter, and William Turnbull
    1998 “Conversational Structure and Facework in Arguing.” Journal of Pragmatics29: 225–256. 10.1016/S0378‑2166(97)00048‑9
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-2166(97)00048-9 [Google Scholar]
  43. Myers Roy, Alice
    1977 “Toward a Definition of Irony.” InStudies in Language Variation: Semantics, Syntax, Phonology, Pragmatics, Social Situations, Ethnographic Approaches, edited byRalph W. Fasold, and Roger W. Shuy, 171–183. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. 1981 “The Function of Irony in Discourse.” Text1 (4): 407–423. 10.1515/text.1.1981.1.4.407
    https://doi.org/10.1515/text.1.1981.1.4.407 [Google Scholar]
  45. Norrick, Neal R., and Alice Spitz
    2008 “Humor as a Resource for Mitigating Conflict in Interaction.” Journal of Pragmatics40: 1661–1686. 10.1016/j.pragma.2007.12.001
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2007.12.001 [Google Scholar]
  46. Padilla García, Xose A.
    2004 “Enunciados irónicos en español: estudio fonopragmático [Ironic Utterances in Spanish: A Phonopragmatic Study].” Español Actual81: 81–94.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. 2009 “Marcas acústico-melódica: el tono irónico. [Acoustic-Melodic Markers: Ironic Tone].” InDime cómo ironizas y te diré quién eres. Una aproximación pragmática a la ironía, edited byLeonor Ruiz Gurillo, and Xose A. Padilla García, 135–166. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. 2011 “¿Existen rasgos prosódicos objetivos en los enunciados irónicos? [Are There Objective Prosodic Features in Ironic Utterances?].” Oralia14: 203–226
    [Google Scholar]
  49. Padilla García, Xose A., and María Belén Alvarado Ortega
    2010 “Being Polite through Irony.” InDialogue in Spanish: Studies in Functions and Contexts, edited byDale Koike, and Lidia Rodríguez-Alfano, 69–87. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins. 10.1075/ds.7.04pad
    https://doi.org/10.1075/ds.7.04pad [Google Scholar]
  50. Pexman, Penny M., and Kara M. Olineck
    2002 “Does Sarcasm Always Sting? Investigating the Impact of Ironic Insults and Ironic Compliments.” Discourse Processes33 (3): 199–217. 10.1207/S15326950DP3303_1
    https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326950DP3303_1 [Google Scholar]
  51. Raskin, Victor, and Salvatore Attardo
    1994 “Non-Literalness and Non-Bona-fide in Language.” Pragmatics and Cognition2: 2–31.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Roberts, Richard M., and Roger J. Kreuz
    1994 “Why Do People Use Figurative Language?” Psychological Science5(3): 159–163. 10.1111/j.1467‑9280.1994.tb00653.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1994.tb00653.x [Google Scholar]
  53. Schiffrin, Deborah
    1985 “Everyday Argument: The Organization of Diversity in Talk.” InHandbook of Discourse Analysis, edited byTeun A. van Dijk, 35–46. London: Academic Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Searle, John R.
    1979 “Metaphor.” InMetaphor and Thought, edited byAndrew Ortony, 83–111. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. Seckman, Mark A., and Carl J. Couch
    1989 “Jocularity, Sarcasm, and Relationships.” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography18: 327–344. 10.1177/089124189018003004
    https://doi.org/10.1177/089124189018003004 [Google Scholar]
  56. Slugoski, Ben R., and William Turnbull
    1988 “Cruel to Be Kind and Kind to Be Cruel: Sarcasm, Banter and Social Relations.” Journal of Language and Social Psychology7: 101–121. 10.1177/0261927X8800700202
    https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X8800700202 [Google Scholar]
  57. Sperber, Dan, and Deirdre Wilson
    1991 “Irony and the Use-Mention Distinction.” InPragmatics. A Reader, edited bySteven Davis, 550–563. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  58. Spitz, Alice
    2006 Power Plays -Mother-Daughter Disputes in Contemporary Plays by Women. A Study in Discourse Analysis. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Saarland University.
  59. Toplak, Maggie, and Albert N. Katz
    2000 “On the Uses of Sarcastic Irony.” Journal of Pragmatics32: 1467–1488. 10.1016/S0378‑2166(99)00101‑0
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-2166(99)00101-0 [Google Scholar]
  60. Vuchinich, Samuel
    1990 “The Sequential Organization of Closing in Verbal Family Conflict.” InConflict Talk, edited byAllen D. Grimshaw, 118–138. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/jlac.00014.kal
Loading
  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): conflict talk; family and social domain; qualitative analysis; verbal irony
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error