communication

tautology - definition, concept and what it is

Tautology is a term that is used in both rhetoric and logic. In the first one, it refers to the formulation of a sentence through the use of expressions that do not provide new information, are redundant, obvious or void of content.

In the field of logic, Tautology is any proposal that is always true and in all cases, regardless of the values ​​assigned to the variables involved. The only way to reliably verify that a certain formula is a tautology is through the construction of what is called a "truth table"

The context and tautological expressions

From a theoretical point of view, a tautology, by the very nature of its definition, should not be affected by the context of language. The use of tautology in language is considered as a lack of linguistic resources, an error or, ultimately, a poor way of expressing oneself, since the phrase that is formulated does not provide relevant information that changes the perception that the listener had previously : "I am what I am".

Among the tautologies, it is worth noting the existence of the figure called Pleonasm, which consists of redundantly using a word that was already implicitly taken for granted. A) Yes, "I'm going out for a moment" it is a pleonasm, since the use of the verb to exit automatically demands that it be outside, since it is impossible to go inside, up or down.

But as much as it seems that Tautology is a defect in expression and that the context cannot in any way redeem it, the truth is that language has infinite nuances.

In such a way that the use of tautology can be considered adequate when what is intended is to emphasize an idea, in such a way that a non-trivial idea can be expressed with an expression that, in theory, is void of content, especially if the context makes it so. favors.

In a conversation in which the context refers to laziness or little desire to work, the tautology "When I wear, I wear", not only is it not inappropriate, but it is actually providing additional information beyond the sentence, implying that, although their desire to work is not great or frequent, once the performance of the task begins, their involvement in it it is absolute.

Photos: iStock - OJO_Images / AntonioGuillem

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