?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Truthfulness+and+relevance&rft.creator=Wilson%2C+Deirdre&rft.creator=Sperber%2C+Dan&rft.subject=Pragmatics&rft.subject=Philosophy+of+Language&rft.subject=Psycholinguistics&rft.description=This+paper+questions+the+widespread+view+that+verbal+communication+is+governed+by+a+maxim%2C+norm+or+convention+of+truthfulness+which+applies+at+the+level+of+what+is+literally+meant%2C+or+what+is+said.+Pragmatic+frameworks+based+on+this+view+must+explain+the+frequent+occurrence+and+acceptability+of+loose+and+figurative+uses+of+language.+We+argue+against+existing+explanations+of+these+phenomena+and+provide+an+alternative+account%2C+based+on+the+assumption+that+verbal+communication+is+governed+not+by+expectations+of+truthfulness+but+by+expectations+of+relevance%2C+raised+by+literal%2C+loose+and+figurative+uses+alike.+Sample+analyses+are+provided%2C+and+some+consequences+of+this+alternative+account+are+explored.+In+particular%2C+we+argue+that+the+notions+of+%C2%91literal+meaning%C2%92+and+%C2%91what+is+said%C2%92+play+no+useful+theoretical+role+in+the+study+of+language+use%2C+and+that+the+nature+of+explicit+communication+will+have+to+be+rethought.&rft.date=2002&rft.type=Journal+(Paginated)&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=text%2Fhtml&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F2226%2F1%2Ftruthfulness.htm&rft.identifier=++Wilson%2C+Deirdre+and+Sperber%2C+Dan++(2002)+Truthfulness+and+relevance.++%5BJournal+(Paginated)%5D++++(In+Press)++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F2226%2F