Locution and Illocution

● Locutions: the utterance act. Sentences have a

grammatical structure and a literal linguistic
meaning; the bold, literal force of the act: what
did the person say? (Not, what did the person
mean?)
● Illocution: the speaker's Intentionof what is to be
accomplished by the speech act.
● Compare: How'd you like to hand me that
wrench? (locution: a question) has the
illocutionary force of a command
 Distinguishing among speech acts
● How do we know what the force of a speech is?
By the context or the setting, and by using their
judgement and background knowledge of the
language and the culture. If the Queen of
Hearts (in Alice in Wonderland) says 'Off with
their Heads!' it has a different force than if
someone else says it in another setting
 Approriateness conditions and
Succesful Declarations
● There are conventions that tell us that a
particular locution probably has a particular
force. People don't use language
inappropriately, or they get into trouble, or the
act may be interpreted as invalid.
● Utterance must be conventionally associated
with thespeech act: The preacher orofficiating
judge says:
I now pronounce you husband and wife
Instead of
Heybobareebob, you are the hitched!
Context must be conventionally recognized

The above declaration must be in a setting that is

appropriate, like in a church or place of religious
worship, etc. with people gathered for that
purpose, perhaps even dressed for the part.
Wedding (e.g.) don't happen spontaneously
during, e.g., a baptism or a bar mitzvah.
● Succesful promises: (commisive): must be
recognized as a promise, must be sincere,
(essential) speaker must state the intention of
helping.Prepatory condition: speaker and
hearer are sane responsible, speakers wishes
to help, hearer wishes to be helpful, etc.
(speaker cannot have fingers crossed behind
her back.)