We are considering an utterance of
i. Bye bye.
In a message dated 2/1/2016 3:52:35 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx writes:
"[He] is problem-solving with language (having grasped
language as a solution to problems) and his solution has the status of a
conjecture (as becomes obvious when we examine the many failed
conjectures - or
lingustic experiments - conducted by children). Problem-solving is a
better
characterisation because it limits the generality of what Rudy is doing."
It may be argued that "Bye bye" is a conversational move. Grice speaks of
"conversational move," "conversational rule," and "conversational game."
It is, more specifically, a closing conversational move. A conversation
typically consists of:
A: Hello.
B: Hello.
A: The cat is on the mat.
B: Thanks.
A: Bye bye.
B: Bye bye.
There are pre-sequential moves, sometimes, as if A were to preface his "Bye
bye" with "The kettle is boiling. Must rush. Bye bye."
It may be argued that such a complex utterance is a _turn_, which consists
of three moves. And so on.
"Bye bye" solves a problem. Novel uses of "Bye bye" do too.
My previous post was an exploration on the etymology of "Bye bye" (a rough
translation from French, "A-dieu".
In its etymological usage, "God be with ye" solved a problem, too. The
confusion of "god" with "good" is understandable. An opening conversational
move seems to be, "Good day", "Good afternoon," "Good morning." So it is easy
to understand that while "Good evening" and "Good night" are good closing
moves, "GOOD bye" is a more neutral one, in that it does not specify the
time of the day.
It may be argued that "Good day" CAN be used as a closing move. But adding
"God" to the picture gives a 'theological' side to the farewell.
In "The Wizard of Oz," Judy Garland (I think) keeps saying, "Oh my". The
implicature seems to be "Oh my God", with God merely implicated. Mutatis
mutandis, we can see how "God be with you" got simplified, out of respect for
God to "Be with you". Later, the 'with you' was found to be otiose, and the
phrase shortened to "Be". Since "Be!" can be sound authoritative (an order
to exist, say), it is understandable that the vowel got lengthened into a
diphthong, and pronouned "bye", just to make it less imperative in force.
In any case, the 'be' applies to "God", not to the addressee. It is the
utterer's wish that God BE with the addresee.
How the utterer can wish this is beyond a Lutheran (I'm not). The
implicature seems to be that the utterer perhaps is PRAYING that God may be
with
the addresee, as the utterer leaves the addressee alone.
It's different with laptops, etc.
Cheers,
Speranza
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