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In:Handbook of Pragmatics: Manual
Edited by Jef Verschueren and Jan-Ola Östman
[Handbook of Pragmatics M2] 2022
► pp. 1303–1317

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Speech act theory

Published online: 3 October 2022
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https://doi.org/10.1075/hop.m2.spe1
Article outline
  • 1.Where does speech act theory come from?
    • 1.1Frege and the assertion sign
    • 1.2Wittgenstein and the uses of language
    • 1.3Austin and the performative utterance
    • 1.4Grice and speaker’s meaning
  • 2.Utterances as acts
    • 2.1Austin’s distinction of locutionary, illocutionary, and perlocutionary acts
      • 2.1.1The complexities of saying
      • 2.1.2The three kinds of effects of the illocutionary act
      • 2.1.3The distinction between illocution and perlocution
    • 2.2Searle’s notion of the speech act as illocutionary act
      • 2.2.1Illocutionary force and propositional content
      • 2.2.2Felicity conditions as rules
      • 2.2.3Intention and perlocution
  • 3.Main problems in speech act theory
    • 3.1Illocutionary force-indicating devices
    • 3.2The classification of illocutionary acts
    • 3.3Modes of understanding
    • 3.4Speech acts and truth
    • 3.5Universality vs. the linguistic and cultural relativity of speech acts
  • 4.Trends of development in speech act theory
    • 4.1From the conventionality of performatives to the naturality of inferences
    • 4.2From interpersonal action to the intentionality of the speaker’s mind
    • 4.3Some collateral endeavors
  • 5.Open issues and possibilities of further development
  • References
References (86)
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