Linguistic Knowledge and Language Use

Benoît Leclercq is an Associate Professor in English Linguistics at the University of Paris 8. His research focuses on the semantics-pragmatics interface, with a particular interest in the domain of modality. Recent publications include Models of Modals (co-authored, De Gruyter, 2023).

• 1. Introduction; 2. Understanding construction grammar and relevance theory; 3. Re-defining lexical semantics and pragmatics; 4. Understanding lexemes: the role of the linguistic co-text; 5. Conclusion.

'Benoît Leclercq orchestrates an intellectually stimulating dialogue between two otherwise non-speaking parties, showcasing how combined insights of construction grammarians and relevance theorists can shed light on the fascinating mechanisms behind meaning creation. Leclercq's masterful discussion of two bodies of literature leads to a new and better understanding of coercion as a process driven by users seeking communicative benefits, of what happens when we recognize an idiom, and more generally of the proper place of pragmatics, conventional or not, in determining the sense of a word in context.' Bert Cappelle, Associate Professor, University of Lille