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Series:   Elements in Psycholinguistics

Verbal Irony Processing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2023

Stephen Skalicky
Stephen Skalicky
Affiliation:
Victoria University of Wellington

Summary

Ironic language is a salient reminder that speakers of all languages do not always mean what they say. While ironic language has captured the attention of theorists and scholars for centuries, it is only since the 1980s that psycholinguistic methods have been employed to investigate how readers and hearers detect, process, and comprehend ironic language. This Element reviews the foundational definitions, theories, and psycholinguistic models of ironic language, covering key questions such as the distinction between literal and ironic meaning, the role of contextual information during irony processing, and the cognitive mechanisms involved. These key questions continue to motivate new studies and methodological innovations, providing ample opportunity for future researchers who wish to continue exploring how ironic language is processed and understood.
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Keywords

verbal ironysarcasmpragmaticsfigurative languagepsycholinguistics

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Element
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Series: Elements in Psycholinguistics
Online ISBN: 9781009234566
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication: 02 February 2023

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Verbal Irony Processing
  • Stephen Skalicky, Victoria University of Wellington
  • Online ISBN: 9781009234566
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Verbal Irony Processing
  • Stephen Skalicky, Victoria University of Wellington
  • Online ISBN: 9781009234566
Available formats
×

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Verbal Irony Processing
  • Stephen Skalicky, Victoria University of Wellington
  • Online ISBN: 9781009234566
Available formats
×