UNIVERSAL GRAMMAR AND SPEECH ACT THEORY

As philosophers and universal grammarians of the classical age have already pointed out, the primary functions of language are to enable human speakers to express and communicate with accuracy and efficiency their conceptual thoughts.1 Thus one can raise the question: Are there transcendent features that any natural language must possess in order to be able to fulfil its two basic functions of expression and of communication, and if yes, what is their nature? According to speech act theory, the primary units of meaning in the use and comprehension of language are not isolated propositions but rather speech acts of the type called by Austin (1962) illocutionary acts. Speakers who make meaningful utterances of elementary sentences always relate propositional contents to the world with a certain illocutionary force. They mean to perform in the context of their utterances elementary illocutionary acts such as assertions, questions, orders, declarations and thanks. It is part of what they intend to communicate to their hearers. Moreover they contribute to conversations with the intention of performing with other speakers collective illocutionary acts such as