Pragmatics

Violation, according to Grice (1975), takes place when speakers intentionally refrain to apply certain maxims in their conversation to cause misunderstanding on their participants' part or to achieve some other purposes. The following are examples of violation in the four aforementioned maxims:

• Mother: Did you study all day long?

• Son who has been playing all day long: Yes, I‘ve been studying till know!

In this exchange, the boy is not truthful and violates the maxim of quality. He is lies to avoid unpleasant consequences such as; punishment or to be forced to study for the rest of the day.

• John: Where have you been? I searched everywhere for you during the past three months!

• Mike: I wasn't around. So, what's the big deal?

John poses a question, which he needs to be answered by Mike. What Mike says in return does not lack the truth, however is still insufficient. This can be due to the fact that Mike prefers to refrain from providing John with the answer. John's sentence implies that Mike has not been around otherwise he did not have to search everywhere. John does not say as much as it is necessary to make his contribution cooperative. Hence, he leaves his listener unsatisfied.

Unlike the violation of maxims, which takes place to cause misunderstanding on the part of the listener, the flouting of maxims takes place when individuals deliberately cease to apply the maxims to persuade their listeners to infer the hidden meaning behind the utterances; that is, the speakers employ implicature (S. C. Levinson, 1983). In the case of flouting (exploitation) of cooperative maxims, the speaker desires the

greatest understanding in his/her recipient because it is expected that the interlocutor is able to uncover the hidden meaning behind the utterances. People may flout the maxim of quality so as to deliver implicitly a sarcastic tone in what they state. As in:

Teacher to a student who arrives late more than ten minutes to the class meeting:

• Wow! You're such a punctual fellow! Welcome to the class.

• Student: Sorry sir! It won't happen again.

It is obvious from what the teacher says that he is teasing the student and his purpose is, by no means, praising him. He exploits the maxim of quality (being truthful) to be sarcastic. Likewise, the student seems to notice the purpose behind the teacher's compliment and offers an apology in return. Furthermore, individuals can flout the maxim of quantity to be humorous. As in the most frequently found expression among Iranian

youngsters:

Majid and Ali are talking on the phone:

• Ali: Where are you, Majid?

• Majid: I'm in my clothes

Majid tells the truth because it is expected that people are always in some clothes, yet he flouts the maxim of quantity because the information is insufficient for Ali.