Erimaksud

Erimaksud is a term used in some linguistic discussions to denote the speaker's intended meaning behind an utterance—the sense or aim the speaker intends to communicate, which can differ from the literal meaning of the words.

The term's etymology is not standardized; in many sources it is described as a neologism blending maksud, meaning intention, with a formative element that signals an interpretive layer. It is not established in mainstream semantics or pragmatics and is largely confined to informal or exploratory writings.

In practice, erimaksud is used to annotate utterances for pragmatic analysis, including indirect requests, politeness strategies, humor, and implicature. For example, the sentence "Bisa tolong tutup pintu?" literally asks for whether you can close the door, but erimaksud in conversational use may represent a polite appeal to take action.

Scholarly reception is limited and often contested. Critics argue that erimaksud overlaps with existing notions such as implicature, illocutionary force, or the force of speech acts, and that it adds little independent explanatory power. Proponents suggest it helps capture the felt intent behind socially conditioned language.

See also pragmatics, semantics, implicature, speech act theory.