Metarepresentation Metarepresentation in linguistic jokesin linguistic jokes

Peiling CuiPeiling Cui

University of BremenUniversity of Bremen

29.09.200629.09.2006

Jokes: combination of two Jokes: combination of two different semantic different semantic respresentations (1)respresentations (1) SSTH: Semantic Script Theory of HumorSSTH: Semantic Script Theory of Humor

A text can be characterized as a single-joke-A text can be characterized as a single-joke-carrying text if both of the following conditions carrying text if both of the following conditions are satisfied.are satisfied.

1. The text is compatible, fully or in part, with 1. The text is compatible, fully or in part, with two different scripts. (Script overlapping)two different scripts. (Script overlapping)

2. The two scripts with which the text is 2. The two scripts with which the text is compatible are compatible are oppositeopposite. (Script opposition). (Script opposition)The two scripts with which some text is The two scripts with which some text is compatible are said to compatible are said to overlapoverlap fully or in part fully or in part on this text. on this text. (Raskin 1985: 99)(Raskin 1985: 99)

Jokes: combination of two Jokes: combination of two different semantic different semantic respresentations (2)respresentations (2) The two overlapping and opposite The two overlapping and opposite

scripts are the two different semantic scripts are the two different semantic interpretations of the joke text (see interpretations of the joke text (see Attardo & Raskin 1991: 308). Attardo & Raskin 1991: 308).

At the mean while, they also represent At the mean while, they also represent two different worlds: two different worlds: One of them is our One of them is our expectationexpectation of the of the story in the joke before the punch line, story in the joke before the punch line, and the other one is the and the other one is the real occurrencereal occurrence in the text (see Schultz 1976: 12). in the text (see Schultz 1976: 12).

A joke exampleA joke example

““Is the doctor at home?” the patient asked in Is the doctor at home?” the patient asked in his bronchial whisper. “his bronchial whisper. “NoNo,” the doctor’s ,” the doctor’s young and pretty wife whispered in reply. young and pretty wife whispered in reply. ““Come right inCome right in.” (American, 20th century, .” (American, 20th century, Raskin 1985: 100)Raskin 1985: 100)

Script 1 Script 1 vs. vs. Script 2Script 2

Representation 1 Representation 1 vs. vs. Representation 2Representation 2

patient patient vs. vs. loverlover

Linguistic jokes Linguistic jokes

Jokes which are expressed by Jokes which are expressed by means of a linguistic system. means of a linguistic system. (Attardo 1994: 96)(Attardo 1994: 96)

Jokes whose effect is produced Jokes whose effect is produced through the special use of some through the special use of some linguistic elements with their linguistic elements with their semantic potentials. (see Jurasz semantic potentials. (see Jurasz 2001: 169)2001: 169)

Examples for linguistic jokesExamples for linguistic jokes

A miser who heard the water running in his A miser who heard the water running in his house rushed downstairs and into the street house rushed downstairs and into the street shouting, „I‘m being robbed! Someone is shouting, „I‘m being robbed! Someone is takingtaking a bath.“ (Koestler 1964) a bath.“ (Koestler 1964)

A very famous German company which A very famous German company which serves as a job offer center is called serves as a job offer center is called „Bindan„Bindan**“. (The author‘s own observation) “. (The author‘s own observation) **BindanBindan sounds similar to the Chinese word sounds similar to the Chinese word bendan bendan which means which means fools. fools.

The mechanism of linguistic The mechanism of linguistic jokesjokes

- A description of the combinational rules of - A description of the combinational rules of the two scripts/representations in the two scripts/representations in linguistic jokes.linguistic jokes.

- The - The metarespresentationmetarespresentation in linguistic in linguistic jokes. jokes.

homophonehomophone homograph homograph polysemepolyseme syntactic ambiguitysyntactic ambiguity

HomophoneHomophone

Two or more words that share the Two or more words that share the same or similar pronunciation but same or similar pronunciation but different writing forms and different writing forms and meanings. meanings. (see Bußmann 2002: (see Bußmann 2002: 284)284)

A joke example for homophoneA joke example for homophone

A foreigner saw a young and pretty Chinese A foreigner saw a young and pretty Chinese woman wearing a T-shirt with “9 9” on the woman wearing a T-shirt with “9 9” on the breast. He found it very nice and wanted to breast. He found it very nice and wanted to give her a compliment, but he didn’t give her a compliment, but he didn’t remember how to say “9” in Chinese, so the remember how to say “9” in Chinese, so the foreigner just pointed to the numbers and foreigner just pointed to the numbers and said: “Both of your said: “Both of your nine ninenine nine are very are very beautiful…” (beautiful…” (http://http://joke.tom.comjoke.tom.com. Author’s . Author’s translation from the Chinese)translation from the Chinese)

/nain//nain/ 1) nine: a number in English 1) nine: a number in English

2) 2) 奶奶 ((nainai): ): breastbreast in Chinese in Chinese

HomographHomograph

Two or more words share the Two or more words share the same or similar writing form but same or similar writing form but different sounds and meanings. different sounds and meanings. (see Bußmann 2002: 283)(see Bußmann 2002: 283)

A joke example for homographA joke example for homograph

A foreign student who has just begun A foreign student who has just begun with Chinese learning once wrote an with Chinese learning once wrote an article with the title „A letter to my article with the title „A letter to my mother“, and his first sentence was mother“, and his first sentence was „Dear„Dear女马女马女马女马 (nü ma nü ma)…(nü ma nü ma)…“ “ (joke.tom.com, author‘s translation (joke.tom.com, author‘s translation from the Chinese)from the Chinese)

妈 妈 妈 妈 / / 女马女马女马女马ma ma / nü ma nü mama ma / nü ma nü mamama / female horse female horsemama / female horse female horse

Some more examples for Some more examples for homograph - acronym jokeshomograph - acronym jokes

BS, MS, PhD: Bull Shit, More of the BS, MS, PhD: Bull Shit, More of the Same, Piled Higher and Deeper. (see Same, Piled Higher and Deeper. (see Nilsen & Nilsen 2000: 175)Nilsen & Nilsen 2000: 175)

BMW: Bavarian Must Wander. BMW: Bavarian Must Wander.

Bayerischer Müll Wagen (Bavarian Bayerischer Müll Wagen (Bavarian dust car). (www.witze.ag)dust car). (www.witze.ag)

PolysemePolyseme

A word or phrase with different meanings (in different contexts) which share the same meaning core. (see Bußmann 2002: 524)

A joke example for polysemeA joke example for polyseme

The first thing which The first thing which strikesstrikes a a stranger in New York is a big car. stranger in New York is a big car. (Esar, 1952: 77, Raskin 1985: 26)(Esar, 1952: 77, Raskin 1985: 26)

Syntactic ambiguitySyntactic ambiguity

A property of sentences which A property of sentences which have more than one syntactic have more than one syntactic derivation, i.e., a sentence which derivation, i.e., a sentence which may be reasonably interpreted in may be reasonably interpreted in more than one way (see Deemter more than one way (see Deemter & Peters 1996: & Peters 1996: XVXV))

Joke examples for syntactic Joke examples for syntactic ambiguityambiguity

In the In the Frank and ErnestFrank and Ernest comic strip, comic strip, Frank says to a real estate agent, Frank says to a real estate agent, “Sure, we’d like to see a model home. “Sure, we’d like to see a model home. What time does she get off work?” What time does she get off work?” (Nilsen & Nilsen 2000: 26)(Nilsen & Nilsen 2000: 26)

Diner Sign: “Wanted: Man to scrub Diner Sign: “Wanted: Man to scrub floor and two waitresses.” (Norman floor and two waitresses.” (Norman Stageberg)Stageberg)

ConclusionsConclusions

Metarepresentation Metarepresentation the two the two representationsrepresentations

(joke mechanism)(joke mechanism)

HomophoneHomophone Script 1, Script 1, representation 1representation 1

HomographHomograph linguistic jokelinguistic joke

PolysemePolyseme

Syntactic ambiguitySyntactic ambiguity Script 2, Script 2, representation 2 representation 2

Main References (1)Main References (1)

Raskin, Victor. Raskin, Victor. Semantic Mechanisms of HumorSemantic Mechanisms of Humor. . Dordrecht: D. Reidel, 1985. Dordrecht: D. Reidel, 1985.

Attardo, Salvatore. Attardo, Salvatore. Humorous Texts: A Semantic Humorous Texts: A Semantic and Pragmatic Analysisand Pragmatic Analysis. Berlin/New York: . Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter, 2001.Mouton de Gruyter, 2001.

Nilsen, Alleen Pace, and Don L. F. Nilsen. Nilsen, Alleen Pace, and Don L. F. Nilsen. Encyclopedia of 20Encyclopedia of 20thth Century American Humor Century American Humor. . Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2000.Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2000.

Sperber, Dan (ed.). Sperber, Dan (ed.). Metarepresentations. A Metarepresentations. A Multidisplinary PerspectiveMultidisplinary Perspective. Oxford: Oxford . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. University Press, 2000.

Main References (2)Main References (2)

Van Deemter, Kees, and Stanley Peters (ed.). Van Deemter, Kees, and Stanley Peters (ed.). Semantic Ambiguity and Underspecification. Semantic Ambiguity and Underspecification. California: Center for the study of language and California: Center for the study of language and information Stanford, 1996.information Stanford, 1996.

Bußmann, Hadumod (ed.). Bußmann, Hadumod (ed.). Lexikon der Lexikon der SprachwissenschaftSprachwissenschaft. Dritte, aktualisierte und . Dritte, aktualisierte und erweiterte Auflage. Stuttgart: Alfred Kröner erweiterte Auflage. Stuttgart: Alfred Kröner Verlag, 2002. Verlag, 2002.

Stageberg, Norman C. "Structural Ambiguity: Stageberg, Norman C. "Structural Ambiguity: Some Sources." Some Sources." English JournalEnglish Journal 55 (1966): 558- 55 (1966): 558-563.563.