Pragmatic Role of Offline Hashtags:Guide to Readers’ Inference

Abstract

This research seeks to shed light on the pragmatic role of hashtags used in offline contexts. Guided by the relevance-theoretic perspective, the study shows that hashtags used in any utterance contribute to relevance by activating and making more accessible some contextual assumptions, therefore guiding the reader in inferring the utterance to reach the intended meaning of the addresser. The content of the hashtags helps the readers derive both explicit and implicit messages from the context they are used in. To present more information in a limited space, hashtags from cyberspace have been adopted and adapted for use in offline contexts. This study in particular highlights the use of hashtags in offline advertisements and the way they help communicate the overall message to the audience.