Key Difference – Entailment vs Presupposition
Entailment and presupposition are two pragmatic elements that help us understand not only the meaning of words, but also the speaker’s intended message. The main difference between entailment and presupposition lies in the fact that entailment is the relationship between two sentences, while presupposition is an assumption made by the speaker prior to making an utterance.
Key Takeaways
- Entailment is the relationship between two sentences or propositions, where the truth of one proposition implies the truth of the other.
- Presupposition is an assumption made by the speaker before making an utterance.
- Entailments are associated with sentences, while presuppositions are associated with speakers.
What is an Entailment?
Entailment is the relationship between two sentences or propositions, where the truth of one proposition implies the truth of the other since both are involved with the meaning of words. It’s the sentences, not speakers, that have entailments. Entailments also depend on the meaning of the sentence, not the meaning of the context.
For example:
1. The terrorists assassinated the king.
2. The king died.
3. The terrorists assassinated someone.
Statements 2 and 3 are true because statement 1 is true. Thus, their truth depends on the meaning of the utterance.
What is a Presupposition?
A presupposition is something that the speaker assumes to be the case prior to making an utterance. It’s the speakers, not the sentences, that have presuppositions.
For example, if someone tells you, ‘Jane’s sister got married’, there’s an obvious presupposition that Jane has a sister.
There are several types of presuppositions, including existential, factive, lexical, structural, non-factive, and counterfactual presuppositions. Each type conveys different assumptions or facts about the speaker’s utterance.
What is the difference between Entailment and Presupposition?
Meaning:
– Entailment: Entailment is the relation between sentences or propositions.
– Presupposition: Presupposition is an assumption a speaker makes prior to making an utterance.
Speakers vs Sentences:
– Entailment: Sentences have entailments.
– Presupposition: Speakers have presuppositions.
Truth:
– Entailment: The negation of the first sentence will affect the truth of the second sentence.
– Presupposition: The negation of the first utterance may not affect the second sentence.
