A Study of Advertisements in English and Kurdish with Reference to the Coop

Abstract

Due to its vagueness, indirectness and ambiguity, the language of advertising is, sometimes, not fully understood by people in everyday situations; therefore, specific means and strategies are needed to interpret the meanings and messages implied in it. Hence, this study can assist people in reaching this goal. This paper studies print advertisements in English and Kurdish from the perspective of the cooperative principles and implicature within the framework of Gricean Cooperative principles (1975) and maxims and their non-observance in particular. The data are 16 advertisements for print magazines and newspapers: 8 English and 8 Kurdish. The current study aims to answer how advertisers and copywriters do not observe the maxims of conversation and what the aim is behind violating or flouting those maxims. The results have shown that advertisers violate or flout the maxims of conversation to make the advertisement look more persuasive, and hence persuade customers to take the act of purchase by increasing interest towards the product or service. It is also found that the maxim of quality is the most non-observed maxim when English advertisements are concerned, whereas the maxim of quantity is the most non-observed maxim when Kurdish advertisements are considered.