Pragmatic Construction Errors on Cigarette Labels: A Cause for Rising Cigarette Consumption
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61166/demagogi.v4i5.154Keywords:
Pragmatics, Speech Acts, Implicature, Cigarettes, Health DiscourseAbstract
This study aims to analyze the pragmatic meaning in health warning sentences on cigarette labels: “Smoking Kills You” found on logos and cigarette packaging in Indonesia. A pragmatic approach is used to understand how the meaning of the warning is constructed contextually and how its communicative effect impacts society. The analysis is conducted through a qualitative descriptive method by examining the speech context, implicature, and speech acts contained in the slogan. The results of the study show that the sentence “Smoking Kills You” contains directive illocutionary acts and weak perlocutionary effects, but its effectiveness is influenced by social, cultural factors, and public perception of cigarettes. Consequently, this study emphasizes that linguistic messages on cigarette packaging are not only informative but also ideological and pragmatic in nature.
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