Hint in the paradigm of communicative linguistics

Special attention is given to analyzing research on hints as a form of indirect communication. There are differences in hint definition and research methods among scholars from different linguistic paradigms and countries. The focus of hint research within the linguistic paradigm remains on defining and classifying hints, considering concepts within different paradigms such as semiotics, semantics, pragmatics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, and cognitive linguistics. The objectives of this study are: 1) to summarize the extent to which the category of hint has been studied by scholars in China, Russia and Western countries within the linguistic paradigm; 2) to compare and contrast the methodological principles and techniques of hint research. Besides, based on the results of the research, the article pays special attention to the study of hints within the framework of linguistic pragmatics. The following research methods were used in this study: descriptive method, comparative analysis and generalization method.The author's special contribution to the study of the topic is: 1) presentation of different understandings of the definition of the category "hint". In linguistic pragmatics, a hint is a speech act that indirectly conveys information and emotions and influences the addressee's state; 2) identification of criteria for classifying a hint. The criteria are centered on two aspects: "context" and "intention"; 3) determination of types and kinds of hints. Different forms of innuendo in dialogic lines and Textual Fragments are highlighted. The novelty of this study is to point out the integrative role of linguistic pragmatics in the study of indirect speech acts. In addition, the nature of different types of hint is established based on objective and subjective factors, i.e. different intents of the speaker and contexts.