Lecture 9
SOCIOLINGUISTICS L.9
Pragmatics
I NTRO TO PRAGMATICS :
It’s about how we use our word to make a difference in our
world.
P ERFORMATIVE UTTERNCES
An utterance is the use of a sentence by a speci c speaker at a
certain place and time. Utterances are physical events with
measurable qualities, like loudness. Each utterance is unique
They do not just descriptions but can also bring changes in the
world: performative utterances
Examples: “you’re red”, “I now name you husband and wife”*
etc
L ANGUAGE AS ACTION
Some acts cannot be carried out without the use of language (*).
In some cases speci c persons, time and place are necessary
It involves uttering of speci c words
S PEECH ACTS
Less institutionalized examples of performative uses of language.
1
.
:
:
fi fi :
fi .
.
fi .
.
, Lecture 9
Requests, threatening,
apologizing etc are speech
acts. The words are not xed
and can be carried out in
different ways, and can even be
performed without words
Example
L OCUTIONARY, ILLOCUTIONARY, PERLOCUTIONARY
The same speech act can be performed in different words and
vice versa the same words can perform different speech acts
Locution: the words said and their meanin
Illocution: what the speaker is thereby doing, what the words
count a
Perlocution: the effect on the listener, how the world has changed
as a result of the utteranc
De nition: what speech act (illocution) and utterance (locution)
performs can be determined by looking at the felicity conditions
that the utterance meets
F ELICITY CONDITIONS
Pre-requisites the world must meet for the utterance to be
successful. Different speech acts have different felicity conditions
For example, in order for me to order you something I must
indicate what you shall do, I must be in a position of authority, I
must want you to do it etc.
2
fi s
:
fi.
e
.
:
g
.
.
SOCIOLINGUISTICS L.9
Pragmatics
I NTRO TO PRAGMATICS :
It’s about how we use our word to make a difference in our
world.
P ERFORMATIVE UTTERNCES
An utterance is the use of a sentence by a speci c speaker at a
certain place and time. Utterances are physical events with
measurable qualities, like loudness. Each utterance is unique
They do not just descriptions but can also bring changes in the
world: performative utterances
Examples: “you’re red”, “I now name you husband and wife”*
etc
L ANGUAGE AS ACTION
Some acts cannot be carried out without the use of language (*).
In some cases speci c persons, time and place are necessary
It involves uttering of speci c words
S PEECH ACTS
Less institutionalized examples of performative uses of language.
1
.
:
:
fi fi :
fi .
.
fi .
.
, Lecture 9
Requests, threatening,
apologizing etc are speech
acts. The words are not xed
and can be carried out in
different ways, and can even be
performed without words
Example
L OCUTIONARY, ILLOCUTIONARY, PERLOCUTIONARY
The same speech act can be performed in different words and
vice versa the same words can perform different speech acts
Locution: the words said and their meanin
Illocution: what the speaker is thereby doing, what the words
count a
Perlocution: the effect on the listener, how the world has changed
as a result of the utteranc
De nition: what speech act (illocution) and utterance (locution)
performs can be determined by looking at the felicity conditions
that the utterance meets
F ELICITY CONDITIONS
Pre-requisites the world must meet for the utterance to be
successful. Different speech acts have different felicity conditions
For example, in order for me to order you something I must
indicate what you shall do, I must be in a position of authority, I
must want you to do it etc.
2
fi s
:
fi.
e
.
:
g
.
.
