The Phenomenon of the Term Performative in the Concept of John Langshaw Austin
Founders
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,
Institute of Ukrainian Language of NAS
Publisher
Institute of the Ukrainian Language of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Scientific journal Ukrainian Language is registered by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine as print media (Certificate: Series КВ № 12180 – 1064 ПР of January 12, 2007).
Included in the list of printed scientific specialized editions of Ukraine (Order of MES of Ukraine no528 from 12.05.2015)
Back side of the journal
Nina Horholiuk
Information about the author:
Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, Deputy Director for Research of the Institute of the Ukrainian Language of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine)
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7229-3066
e-mail: gorgoluk@ukr.net.
Title: The Phenomenon of the Term Performative in the Concept of John Langshaw Austin
https://doi.org/10.37919/2221-8807-2025-8-10
Rubric: Terminology of Linguistics. Theory of Terminography and Practice of Branch Dictionaries
Abstract: The stages of formation of John Austin’s theory of performativity are characterised – from the identification of performatives to the development of a general theory of speech acts. The scientific research of J. Austin is described. Austin’s scientific research in determining the criteria for distinguishing between performative and assertive statements, in particular through the correlation of the criteria of success/failure and truth/falsity, the identification and qualification of the types of failures associated with the use of performatives, as well as the conditions for the smooth and happy functioning of the performative; criteria (tests) for identifying explicit (pure) performatives and differentiating between non-pure performatives, or semi-descriptions, and pure messages. The article focuses on the differentiation of primary and explicit performatives, the role of context in determining the functional load of primitive performatives. The author characterises J. Austin’s attempts to answer the question of the existence of a grammatical (lexicographic) criterion for distinguishing performative use, which resulted in his attempt to compile a list of performative verbs and subsequently to develop a classification of speech acts. The significance of J. Austin’s theory of performativity and the relevance of the issues under study are emphasised, and the prospects for the development of the theory of performativity are outlined.
Keywords: theory of performativity, performative statements, performative, theory of speech acts.
References:
Derrida, J. (1972). Signature Event Context J. Derrida, Margins of Philosophy, 367–393. Paris: Minuit (in French).
Derrida, J. (1988). Limited Inc, ed. Gerald Graff, trans. Samuel Weber. Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press (in Eng.).
Searle, J. (1977). Reiterating the Differences: A Reply to Derrida (in Eng.).
Urmson, J. O. (1962). Editor’s preface. How to do things with words. Oxford: Clarendon Press, V–VІІ (in Eng.).
Benveniste, E. (1974). General linguistics. Moscow: Progress (in Rus.).
Bilodid, I.K. (Ed.). (1970–1980). Dictionary of the Ukrainian Language (Vol. 9 [С]. Kyiv, 1978). Kyiv: Naukova dumka (in Ukr.).
Koszmider, E. (1962). Sketch of the science of the types of the Polish verb. The experience of synthesis. Questions of verb kind. Moscow: AS USSR, 105–167 (in Rus.).
Lyons, J. (2003). Linguistic semantics: An Introduction. Moscow: Languages of Slavic Culture (in Rus.).
Levchenko, O. (2018). Performativity vs theatricality in the aspect of performative turn. Scientific Bulletin ‘‘Kurbasovski chytannia’’, № 13, 13–25 (in Ukr.).
Austin,, J. (2010). Performatives – constatives. Philosophy of language. Moscow: Editorial URSS, 23–34 (in Rus.).
Searle, J. R. (1986a). Classification of illocutionary acts. New in foreign linguistics. Theory of speech acts. Moscow: Progress, XVII, 170–222 (in Rus.).
Searle, J. (1986b). What is a speech act? New in foreign linguistics. Theory of speech acts. Moscow: Progress, XVII, 151–169 (in Rus.).