Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Preliminary remarks
1.2 Defining scalar implicature
1.3 Imperfections of Grice's theory on scalar implicatttre
1.3.1 Grice's theory of conversational implicature
1.3.2 Limitations of Grice's theory of conversational implicature
1.4 Major concerns of the present study
Chapter Two Scalar implicature: Its current issues and debates
2.1 Approaches to scalar implicature in post-Gricean theories
2.1.1 Scalar implicature in neo-Gricean theories
2.1.2 Scalar implicature in relevance theory
2.1.3 Scalar implicature in other post-Gricean accounts
2.2 Scalar implicature:Its controversies in interpretation models
2.3 Questioning the previous study on scalar implicature
2.3.1 The defining problems of scalar sets
2.3.2 The defining problems of the attributes of scalar implicature
2.3.3 The problems of the previous models
2.4 The feasibility of interpreting scalar implicature as the system-based default meaning
Chapter Three Scalar implicature as the system-based meaning
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Saussure's thought of language as a system
3.2.1 The schema-instance relationship among the system, terms and signs
3.2.2 Two basic relationships in Saussure's thought of language as a system
3.2.3 Language as a conventional system in Saussure's linguistics
3.3 Summary
Chapter Four Scalar implicature and the system-sign relationship
4.1 Horn scales and their problems
4.1.1 The deficiency of Horn scales
4.1.2 Revising Horn scales
4.1.3 Problems with previous formations of scalar sets
4.2 Differentiation of notions: scale, set, linguistic expression, word and term
4.3 Defining sets via associative relations
4.4 Types of associative sets
4.5 Further reflections on associative sets
4.6 Summary
Chapter Five Scalar implicature and the sign-sign relationship
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The associative set as a system of semantic relations
5.3 Associative implicature defined via associative sets
5.4 Summary
Chapter Six Scalar implicature and the conventional system of language
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Scalar implicature as the system-based meaning
6.3 Scalar implicature defaulted by the language system
6.3.1 Defaultness in Saussure's linguistics
6.3.2 Common characteristics of defaults and conventions
6.3.3 The role of conventions in the default interpretation of scalar implicature
6.4 Convention-based reasoning The inferential mechanism of scalar implicature
6.4.1 The said versus the inferred
6.4.2 Defining reasoning
6.4.3 The hard way and the quick way of reasoning
6.4.4 The ifiference of scalar implicature as the convention-based reasoning process
6.5 Summary
Chapter Seven Conclusion
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Major ideas of the present study
7.3 Contributions of the present study
7.4 Limitations and suggestions for the further research
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
