THE ROLE OF CONTEXT IN MEANING INTERPRETATION: A SEMANTIC AND PRAGMATIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

This study investigates the role of context in meaning interpretation from both semantic and pragmatic perspectives. It argues that meaning is not a static property encoded solely in linguistic expressions but a dynamic construct shaped by contextual variables such as discourse environment, speaker intention, sociocultural background, and cognitive inference. The research integrates classical and contemporary linguistic theories with empirical survey data collected from multilingual respondents. Cross-linguistic examples from Uzbek and German are used to illustrate how meaning varies depending on contextual conditions. The findings demonstrate that pragmatic inference and contextual knowledge significantly contribute to resolving ambiguity and enhancing communicative effectiveness. The empirical results confirm that the majority of participants rely on contextual cues rather than literal meaning when interpreting utterances