Entendres

Entendres is a term used in linguistic and literary analysis to refer to the range of meanings that a word, phrase, or utterance can convey beyond its literal wording. The concept aims to capture how readers or listeners infer intentions, connotations, and implied messages that lie beneath the surface text.

Etymology and usage: the word derives from the French verb entendre, meaning to hear or understand. In English, entendes is not a widely standardized technical term, but it is used in discussions of how language can signal meanings beyond the explicit wording. The idea overlaps with, yet is distinct from, concepts like connotation, subtext, and pragmatic inference.

Relation to other concepts: entendes are closely tied to pragmatic interpretation and implicature, the latter defined in part by how hearers derive what is meant rather than what is literally said. It also relates to the speaker’s intended meaning and the audience’s interpretive processes, as social context, tone, and genre influence what is inferred as part of the entendes.

Examples and scope: consider a statement such as “That’s an interesting choice.” Literally, it notes the choice itself; entendes might include evaluation, skepticism, or politeness depending on context. In political or advertising discourse, entendes can reflect strategic aims, such as persuasion or alignment with a particular audience.

Limitations: entendes is not a universally standardized term in linguistics. Many scholars describe the same ideas using terms like implied meaning, connotation, or subtext. See also: implicature, pragmatics, connotation, subtext.