Book chapter
How to talk the unknown into existence: An exercise in X-filology
Deny All Knowledge: Reading The X Files, pp.135-147
Faber and Faber Limited
1996
Abstract
There is an intimate relation between language and knowledge. Even if we can experience things nonlinguistically (by visual, tactile, and olfactory senses, for example) it is a moot point as to whether we can be said to know them unless they have a linguistic form. At least, if we can say or write something, we can usually also claim to know it. If so, language may well be said to come to an end, or to reach its limits, when it comes to expressing the unknown. That is, although it may be possible to refer to some general category of the unknown (as in the previous sentence), the particulars of some specific unknown thing by definition are not available to linguistic expression. However, language in actual situations of use (discourse) is more subtle than this. We know that it can hint, suggest, and imply, and through these mechanisms, it can arouse possibilities, vague ideas, and suspicions.
Details
- Title
- How to talk the unknown into existence: An exercise in X-filology
- Authors/Creators
- A. McHoul (Author/Creator)
- Contributors
- D. Lavery (Editor)A. Hague (Editor)M. Cartwright (Editor)
- Publication Details
- Deny All Knowledge: Reading The X Files, pp.135-147
- Publisher
- Faber and Faber Limited; London, England
- Identifiers
- 991005543172407891
- Copyright
- 1996 The Author
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Humanities
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
Metrics
248 File views/ downloads
91 Record Views