A Study of Language Humor from the Perspective of Cooperative Principle: Take Friends as a Case Study

Abstract

The Cooperative Principle proposed by Grice is one of the most important pragmatic principles. An analysis from the perspective of cooperative principle is conducted on the selected humorous utterance from the American TV Series Friends. The four maxims provide a relatively reasonable explanation towards the mechanism behind humorous utterance. The aim is to bring readers to a more profound understanding and appreciation of the nature of humor.