Austinian theory of speech acts

Austinian theory of speech acts, developed by philosopher J.L. Austin, explains that when we speak, we do more than just share information; we also perform actions through our words. For example, saying "I promise" or "I apologize" isn't merely stating something—it actually carries out an action. These are called "speech acts." Austin identified three types: locution (the actual act of saying something), illocution (the intended purpose behind the statement, like promising or warning), and perlocution (the effect the words have on listeners). In essence, language is a tool for doing things as well as describing the world.