ATLAS OF LANGUAGE

Contextual explanation · NAV-G05-027

Presupposition trigger

This explanation addresses the term in its originating context. It is not an additional canonical Atlas profile.

Explanation

A presupposition trigger is an expression or construction typically associated with particular background assumptions. These assumptions may survive negation or questioning, but their projection depends on construction and context. The term therefore does not guarantee that every use generates the same global presupposition. Local embedding, prior context and special readings must be considered. Within the presupposition entry's scope, the trigger provides a starting point for tests: what is asserted, what is treated as background and what can be explicitly challenged in conversation?

Movement of thought

1. Identify a possible trigger. 2. Formulate the background assumption. 3. Test negation and questions. 4. Vary embedding and context. 5. Separate assertion from presupposition.

Example

“Mira has stopped smoking” normally suggests that she previously smoked; negating the sentence may preserve that background.

Counter-test

One sentence without an appropriate context does not establish identical projection in every embedding.

Scientific use case

Pragmatics can systematically compare projection patterns across triggers.

Effect

Triggers direct attention to what an utterance presupposes rather than newly asserts.

Resonance

A small word can bring a history with it.

Distinction

Distinguish a trigger from entailment alone, speaker intention and context-free automatic triggering.

Sources