Linguistic theories of humor. By Salvatore Attardo. (Humor research 1.) Berlin & New York
cambridge.org
What actually makes a joke funny? Attardo's landmark work dissects the linguistics of humor, revealing that laughter is less spontaneous impulse and more structured cognitive script-switch.
Script-Based Semantics of HumorGeneral Theory of Verbal HumorIncongruity TheoryBenign Violation Theory
Theory Briefing
- Attardo's 426-page volume surveys every major linguistic theory of humor, from incongruity to script-based semantics.
- The General Theory of Verbal Humor proposes that jokes work by triggering two overlapping cognitive scripts that suddenly clash.
- Humor is reframed not as a social or emotional phenomenon but as a rule-governed linguistic structure, amenable to formal analysis.