Interpretation vs Implication vs Meaning vs Narrative

Language use is often described through implication, interpretation, meaning, and narrative without differentiating the work performed by each term. As a result, multiple stages of escalation are compressed into one interpretive designation. This paper distinguishes implication, interpretation, meaning, and narrative as non-equivalent positions in an escalation pathway. Implication concerns suggestive surplus carried by articulation. Interpretation concerns the assigning or reading of significance. Meaning concerns the significance assigned, received, or inferred. Narrative concerns the organization of that significance into sequence. This separation prevents distinct escalation roles from collapsing into a single language of interpretation.