ytringsinnhold

Ytringsinnhold is a term used in linguistics, philosophy of language and related fields to denote the content or meaning conveyed by an utterance. It refers to the proposition or semantic content that a statement expresses, i.e., what would be true if the statement were true. In many analyses, ytringsinnhold also includes implicit commitments, presuppositions and implicatures that accompany the explicit claim.

In semantic and pragmatic analysis, ytringsinnhold is distinguished from the form or stylistic features of an utterance. The same sentence can carry different ytringsinnhold depending on context, speaker intention, and background knowledge, especially when implicatures or presuppositions come into play. Researchers distinguish explicit ytringsinnhold (the stated content) from implicit content (what is suggested or implied beyond the literal words).

Applications of the concept include linguistic analysis of meaning, truth conditions, and how information is conveyed in communication. In legal and public communications contexts, ytringsinnhold is often relevant for assessing what a statement asserts or claims, which can influence judgments about responsibility, defamation, or accountability. The concept helps clarify how messages may be interpreted as factual claims, opinions, or insinuations, and how context shapes the perceived content of what is said.

See also: freedom of expression (ytringsfrihet), truth-conditional semantics, implicature, presupposition, speech act theory.