Extensional Devices

Method

Extensional devices, as described in general semantics, are linguistic elements that are used to take uncertainty and emotional aspects out of a statement and create a more rational description.

The five extensional devices are:

Indexing adds back in specific detail, such as people's names, locations, and so on.

Dating adds the dates when events occurred (so is just indexing in time).

'Etc' is indicating that the whole story cannot be told.

Quotation marks are used to separate something out as not 'real'.

Hyphens bind words together in strength-making connections.

The first three of these are working devices, whilst the latter two are safety devices.

Discussion

Much spoken (and written) language not only has much left out, but has multiple traces of emotional perception and other distortion. By adding

General Semantics was initiated by Alfred Korzybski, who said 'The map is not the territory', indicating the maps in our heads are only indicators of the reality outside, though we act as if the maps were real.

Quick links

Extensional Devices

Method

Example

Discussion

See also

Site Menu

You can buy books here

Quick links

Disciplines

Techniques

Principles

Explanations

Theories

And

Site Menu

Quick links

Disciplines

Techniques

Principles

Explanations

Theories

And