What is a conversational maxim?

Definition
	A conversational maxim is any of four rules which were proposed by Grice 1975, stating that a speaker is assumed to make a contribution that
	is adequately but not overly informative (quantity maxim) the speaker does not believe to be false and for which adequate evidence is had (quality maxim) is relevant (maxim of relation or relevance), and is clear, unambiguous, brief, and orderly (maxim of manner).

Discussion
	The conversational maxims, along with the cooperative principle, partly account for conversational implicatures.

Sources
	Levinson 1983 101–104, 113–114
	Grice 1975 45–46, 49–50
	Crystal 1985 153

Context for this page:

Concept module: conversational maxim
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): C
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

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