This book is devoted to the linguistic study of verbal silence (hereinafter – vs). The uniqueness of this study lies in its focus on expected and unexpected cases within the normal course of interaction when the addresser chooses to use vs, that is, on silence as a verbal means of expression. The speaker1 skilled in choosing for each communicative exchange between realising or not realising a linguistic component is also habituated, when making use of the latter, to signal to the addressee hes choice of silence as a means of expression.2 It is also part of the listener’s proficiency to identify this silence as a verbal means of expression and to determine its function and meaning. When silence is a means of expression, it stands as figure.