What is illocutionary force?

Illocutionary force is the combination of the

• illocutionary point of an utterance, and

• particular presuppositions and attitudes that must accompany that point, including the

  • strength of the illocutionary point
  • preparatory conditions
  • propositional content conditions
  • mode of achievement
  • sincerity conditions, and
  • strength of sincerity conditions.

Illocutionary force distinguishes the following types of acts:

• Asserting
• Promising
• Excommunicating
• Exclaiming in pain
• Inquiring
• Ordering

• What is identity of illocutionary forces?

Crystal 1980 152

Searle and Vanderveken 1985 1, 7–9, 20–21

Context for this page:

• Concept module: illocutionary force
• In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): I
• In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
• In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

© 2004 SIL International