Publications

Publication details [#993]

Bach, Kent and Robert M. Harnish. 1979. Linguistic communication and speech acts. MIT Press. xvii + 327 pp.
Publication type
Book – monograph
Publication language
English

Annotation

B. and H. assume that the connection between linguistic structure and speech acts is inreferential (not just for nonliteral and indirect utterances, but also for literal and direct ones). They try to describe this connection in such a way as to do justice to all three of the factors content, context and communicative intention. A detailed classification of speech acts is presented. The function of linguistic devices and the role of social conventions in the performance of speech acts is discussed. The general aim is to present a conception of linguistic communication that integrates philosophical, linguistic and psychological issues.

Reviewed by