Book contents
- Communicative Efficiency
- Communicative Efficiency
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Part I Different Types of Efficiency in Language
- 1 Communicative Efficiency
- 2 Efficiency and Formal Length
- 3 Efficiency and the Order of Meaningful Elements
- 4 Other Ways of Saving Effort
- Part II Efficiency and Language Evolution
- Part III Case Studies
- Appendices
- References
- Index
1 - Communicative Efficiency
Main Concepts
from Part I - Different Types of Efficiency in Language
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 November 2022
- Communicative Efficiency
- Communicative Efficiency
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Part I Different Types of Efficiency in Language
- 1 Communicative Efficiency
- 2 Efficiency and Formal Length
- 3 Efficiency and the Order of Meaningful Elements
- 4 Other Ways of Saving Effort
- Part II Efficiency and Language Evolution
- Part III Case Studies
- Appendices
- References
- Index
Summary
This chapter introduces the main concepts that are discussed in the book: communicative efficiency, costs, benefits and accessibility. It is also proposed that language users’ behaviour is guided by the Principle of Communicative Efficiency. In addition, several more specific principles and heuristics are formulated, which may explain how everyday communication can be efficient. These are three main principles: the principle of positive correlation between benefits and costs, the principle of negative correlation between accessibility and costs, and the principle of maximization of accessibility. The principles work as heuristics that make production and comprehension automatic and therefore more efficient.
Keywords
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- Information
- Communicative EfficiencyLanguage Structure and Use, pp. 3 - 35Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022