When Conditionals Lack Conditionality: The Semantics of Biscuit Conditionals in some Selected Texts from the Holy Quran and the Qudsi Hadiths: A Default Semantics-Theoretic Perspective

Abstract

Drawing on Jaszczolt’s (2005) Default Semantics theory, and inspired by Austin’s (1961, p. 158) original example: “There are biscuits on the sideboard if you want some,” this paper attempts a semantic analysis of Biscuit Conditionals (BCs) in some selected texts from the Holy Quran and the Qudsi Hadiths, with the intention to explore how this type of conditionals communicates discourse meanings other than conditionality. The main objective of this paper is to show how BCs can semantically be represented to communicate non-conditional meanings within the framework of Default Semantics, a contextualism-oriented and truth-conditional approach that aims to identify the primary meanings pertaining to utterances. Four research questions are presented here: first, what are the different types of BCs presented in the selected texts from the Holy Quran and the Qudsi Hadith? Second, why are the selected constructions considered Biscuit Conditionals not any other type of conditionals? Third, what are the didactic purposes conveyed by BCs in the selected data? Fourth, how are BCs semantically represented to convey non-conditional meanings within the framework of a religion-oriented type of communication, and in light of a theory of discourse meaning? In light of Default Semantics, the paper concludes that Biscuit Conditionals in the selected data lack conditionality on the level of their intended meanings, and assign the discourse functions of fact-confirmers, information-notifiers, sympathy-instigators, invitation-motivators, discourse-relievers and offer-activators that function as conduits of religious didacticism