< Back to previous page

Publication

Short-circuited interpretations of modal verb constructions Some evidence from The Simpsons

Journal Contribution - Journal Article

© John Benjamins Publishing Company. In this paper we aim to show how distinct semantic and pragmatic layers of modal interpretation can be fruitfully integrated within a constructionist approach. We discuss in detail a number of cases from the Simpsons where a modal verb, as part of a longer expression, has a short-circuited interpretation, that is, where it is conventionally associated with a context-specific modal semantic value and, in some cases, with added pragmatic information. Short-circuitedness is evidenced by the humorous effect that is obtained when a character wilfully or unknowingly ignores standard aspects of interpretation of such a modal verb construction.
Journal: Constructions and Frames
ISSN: 1876-1933
Issue: 1
Volume: 8
Pages: 7 - 39
Publication year:2016