What is a presupposition suspension?

Definition
	A presupposition suspension is the speaker's removal of a previously implied commitment to a presupposition without the denial of it.

Example (English)

In the utterance John didn’t cheat again, if indeed he ever did, the if clause suspends the presupposition that John ever cheated.

Source:

Levinson 1983 195

Concept module: presupposition suspension
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): P
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004