Table 5 The modified classifications of emojis’ functions.
From: Relevance theory perspective of emojis used by Chinese younger and older adults in WeChat
Contextual adjustments | Pragmatic functions of emojis | Processing effort value | Contextual effect value | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
A derivation of contextual implications | Filling (Fig. 1) | 3 | 5 | Adding emotional expression to otherwise neutral or emotionless text |
Substituting (Fig. 5) | 1 | 4 | Replacing text in communication and facilitating conversational management | |
A modification of the strength of some assumptions in the context | Enhancing (Fig. 2) | 2 | 3 | Amplifying the emotional expression in text that already conveys an emotional tone |
Weakening (Fig. 3) | 4 | 2 | Mitigating the illocutionary force of a speech act, particularly requests and commands | |
An erasure of some assumptions from the context | Challenging (Fig. 4) | 5 | 1 | Contradicting the explicit content of text, particularly in the case of irony and jokes |
