Silence as Social Discourse, Its Reality and Functions: A Pragmatic Linguistic Approach through a Selected Rhetorical Corpus

Abstract

 This article addresses the phenomenon of silence as a form of social discourse, from a pragmatic linguistic perspective, relying on a selected corpus of texts. It aims to highlight the ways in which silence transforms from being merely the absence of speech into a communicative tool that carries multiple meanings and functions, which vary according to contexts and situations. It also seeks to shed light on the pragmatic dimensions of silence and its role in generating meaning and directing communicative action, emphasizing its position as a mechanism of expression within social discourse. Moreover, the study reveals that silence functions as a communicative strategy that contributes to shaping interactions and defining relationships among individuals, thereby granting it a central role in discourse analysis and in understanding its social dimensions.