According to the speech act theory, every communication (oral or written) has three parts:[1]
- Locution: a locution is a word, phrase, or expression that is spoken/written as well as its literal meaning or significance. In bible study, a locution is a text and its meaning.
- Illocution: the speaker’s intent in saying those words and sentences (i.e., the locution). That is, what the speaker intends to see accomplished as a result of the words he speaks/writes, and
- Perlocution: this describes the effects, results, outcome, change that the speaker expects, hopes, anticipates, or envisions the audience would produce because of his words. The perlocution “is the consequent effect on the hearer which the speaker intends should follow from his utterance.”[2]
For example, an author writes a group of sentences with a particular meaning (locution), and with a particular intent (illocution), in order to achieve a certain effect on the hearer (perlocution).[3] The group of sentences (locution) may be intended to urge a person to do something (illocution). When the person becomes persuaded to do that thing because of the sentences written, that is a perlocution. Perlocution happens outside of the act of speaking or writing. It’s the influence brought about by the spoken or written words.
Here is another example that illustrates all three parts.[4] A woman may say to the husband, “the kitchen smells.” That’s the locution. She really intends that the situation should be addressed by the husband—so that the kitchen wouldn’t smell anymore. That’s the illocution. She hopes the result of her statement would be that the husband would take out the trash that is causing the kitchen to smell. That’s the perlocution.
Here is, yet, another good example: “When the bride and groom say ‘I do’ they are using a very basic locution words that could be used in any number of contexts with varieties of meaning. But in this context, they are used for a specific illocution: a lifetime vow of faithfulness and commitment. The resulting perlocution is the implementation of that vow throughout life”[5]
[1] “Speech Acts,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, accessed September 9, 2020, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/speech-acts/.
[2] Ruth M. Kempson, “Perlocutionary Acts in Speech-Act Theory,” ThoughtCo, accessed September 9, 2020, https://www.thoughtco.com/perlocutionary-act-speech-1691611.
[3] Ibid.
[4] I remember reading this example somewhere but have searched hard to find the source and quote it here but couldn’t find it. I would include it in the future if I can find it.
[5] John H. Walton and Brent Sandy, The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2013), 41.