speakfreely.1w.lv

I) Linguistic or verbal fallacies are those in which a conclusion is obtained by improper or ambiguous use of words or phrases.

1. ACCENT – It occurs only in speaking and consists of emphasizing the wrong word in a sentence; e.g., “He is a fairly good pianist,” according to the emphasis on the words [fairly or good], may imply of a beginner’s progress or insult of an expert pianist.

EXPLANATION – The accent or emphasis used within the statement in question gives a different meaning from that of the words alone. The key principle is that emphasis put on a word or phrase directs attention to those words, signifying importance. Emphasis in speech may be accidental or due to dialect but often reflects the deeper meaning of what a person really intends to say.

EXAMPLES:

I wonder if you really want to do this. (Accent on “want” implies “you want to do this.”)

What do you think people talk about him? (Accent says “you talk about him.”)

He is a fairly good pianist. (The speaker places emphasis on the fact that “he,” as opposed to anyone else, is a fairly good pianist.)

He is a fairly good pianist. (This is an assertion that he “is” a good pianist, as opposed to a poor one.)

He is a fairly good pianist. (The emphasis on “a” implies that there are other fairly good pianists besides him.)

He is a fairly good pianist. (This is an assertion that his ability as a pianist is fair but in need of improvement.)

He is a fairly good pianist. (This is an assertion that he is most certainly a good pianist, perhaps even impressively so.)

He is a fairly good pianist. (This implies that he is good only as a pianist and possibly excludes the idea that he is good at anything else.)

“I killed my wife?” (In response to a police officer asking if he killed his wife. In court the officer states that his reply to his question was “I killed my wife.”

DISCUSSION – Emphasis or accent, which can create ambiguity in the spoken word, is one of Aristotle’s 13 fallacies. The emphasis put on words in a sentence changes the meaning, often radically, which is one reason why the spoken word can communicate so much more than the written word (although limited emphasis may be used here). It draws attention to words, indicating priority, although this often happens at a subconscious level. Because of the subconscious element, it is possible to understand what a person really means, and what he is actually feeling, from the emphasis he uses. We also interpret the emphasis subconsciously, which is an opportunity for the speaker to turn simple words into a powerful way of subtle communication.

When you emphasize spoken words, the sound of the sentence changes. Typical characteristics of the emphasized spoken word include: The first syllable of a key word is pronounced louder than other syllables, the pitch goes down from the previous word, a key word is spoken more slowly, a vowel sound is stretched, a pause before the word is spoken, there’s accompanying emphasis in body language.

What this is doing is causing the emphasized word to be highlighted as particularly important, signaling to the other person that when he infers meaning from your sentence, he should take particular care with understanding the meaning you’ve given to this word.

Emphasis may also be created or increased by pausing just before the word or phrase to emphasize. This can be subtler than heavy accentuation of the word itself. It can be added with body language, for example by nodding or tilting the body forward slightly in time with verbal emphasis.

Emphasis works by the contrast principle, where emphasizing something makes it different from the thing around it. Where it stimulates needs, such as with aggressive body language, it may use the arousal principle to get people stimulated. It can also be caused by repetition, with subsequent repeats increasing the importance being signaled. Multiple repetition thus says “this is very, very important.”

* Emphasis changes meaning and causes attention. An emphasized word says, “Look at me! I’m more important than the words around me. Pay attention to my meaning.” It makes the other person linger on that word as he searches for the special meaning you have inferred. If I say, “you are so good” it drags attention to the emphasized word “good.” It can be as if you just said “good.” The other person will linger longer here, taking more notice of the feelings that the word invokes and pondering more your intent in making this emphasis. And using a pause before the word causes tension as the person wonders what will be said next: “You are so … good.”

* Emphasis changes meaning and distracts. When emphasis grabs attention for one word, it automatically removes attention from other words, distracting the person from something that you want to slip in without his really noticing them too much. If I say, “You are so good to help tidy the house” you may be so focused on the “good” that before you realize it, you find that you’ve volunteered to help tidy up. If you don’t help, then you are refuting the sentence, including the emphasized “good” that feels so nice.

* Emphasis changes meaning and implies a contrast. Emphasizing something often leads to its being contrasted with something else. Note how a simple change in emphasis changes the meaning of the following line:

You may well have spotted that emphasis invokes the opposite. Mary, not Tom; etc. You can use this is you want to imply a contrast. “It’s warm today” invokes memories of cold days, making today seem even warmer. “You are very kind” contrasts you with less kind people, setting up your identity as a generous person.