Article published in:

Relevance Theory: Recent developments, current challenges and future directions
Edited by Manuel Padilla Cruz
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 268] 2016
► pp. 173–

Distinguishing rhetorical from ironical questions

A relevance-theoretic account

Thierry Raeber | University of Neuchâtel

This chapter seeks to differentiate ironical questions from rhetorical questions, as they are often thought to share apparent similarities. Ironical questions are often taken as types of rhetorical questions because they orient towards an obvious answer and have some persuasive power. A relevance-theoretic account, however, shows that ironical questions result in different interpretive effects from those rhetorical questions yield. While rhetorical questions intentionally assert an implicit proposition bearing relevance, in ironical questions such a proposition is not relevant in itself, though it is still communicated. Ironical questions are contextually inaccurate and do not satisfy expectations of optimal relevance. The contextual absurdity of pragmatic expectations gives rise to specific attitudinal and non-propositonal effects.

Keywords: rhetorical questions, ironical questions, irony, pragmatic motivations, discoursive presuppositions

Published online: 20 October 2016
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.268.07rae

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