Irony in Language Use and Communication

Figurative Thought and Language #1

by Angeliki Athanasiadou (Editor), Herbert L. Colston (Editor)

The volume provides original research and analyses of the multi-faceted conceptual and verbal process(es) of irony. Key topics explored include interdisciplinary perspectives and approaches to the study of irony. Collectively, the papers examine irony from psychology, embodiment studies, philosophy, cognitive linguistics, the connection and impact of irony on culture and (media) communication, different approaches to verbal irony and others--ultimately attempting to model the mechanisms underlying ironic forms and the psycholinguistic motivations for their investigation. The comprehensive treatment of these issues is fundamental for future research on irony and related phenomena, particularly on questions of its usage, the diversity and/or unity of irony and ultimately the interrelationships between figurative thought and language.

292 pages, ebook

Published December 14, 2017

Reviews

[Nanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Irony in Language Use and Communication (Irony) is a collection of essays by twenty scholars representing “some of the cutting edge empirical research and theoretical developments on the issues” regarding the “diverse and complex phenomenon of irony” (2). It examines irony in its various forms from different points of view using empirical methods of assessment like eye-tracking during reading. The scholars often illustrate their findings with graphic explanations such as John A. Barnden’s figures representing his theoretical case studies. The book’s treatment of irony is divided into four parts: Interdisciplinary perspectives on irony; Irony, thought and (media) communication; Approaches to verbal irony; Approaches to studying irony. It underscores the difficulty in separating irony from other closely related figures like sarcasm, humor, and parody. Irony may be combined with other figures like “metaphor, metonymy, simile, hyperbole, understatement, and other forms of ironic expression not constrained to language” (2). Both situational and verbal irony are examined with their various sub-forms and their theories like pretence (in terms of drama) and echo-based theories. Many constructed examples of irony are provided to help the reader comprehend the theorists’ claims made about irony’s use. Scholars bring their study into conversation with the other contributors. For example, in Chapter 7 Barnden invokes both Athanasiadon in Chapter 9 and Musolff in Chapter 6 in his discussion of his term, “fictively-elaborated hyperbole” (147), and Ruiz de Mendoza in Chapter 8 regarding “holders of analogous thoughts” (149). A large purpose of the book is to point toward future possibilities in the study of irony; each chapter’s author generously cites the genealogy of ironic investigation creating a paper-trail of past study as a springboard to future study. For example, Herbert L. Colston asks “in what age do people experience the tension from dramatic irony” (40) in suggesting that this may be a point of future ironic inquiry.