#pragmatics

• Speech act — A fundamental concept in linguistic pragmatics (developed by J.L. Austin and J. Searle) that defines an utterance not just as a sequence of words, but as an intentional action through which the speaker alters the state of affairs in reality (e.g., promising, ordering, asserting). The structure of a speech act includes three correlated dimensions: the locutionary act (producing the utterance), the illocutionary act (the intended force of the message), and the perlocutionary act (the effect produced on the receiver).
• Passing remark — A fully adapted phonetic spelling variant of the neuter noun 'apropo'; a subtle allusion, passing remark, or indirect suggestion made within a conversation to convey a hidden message, fine irony, or unstated desire.