Concept: directive speech act [PR]

Definition

PRIMITIVE

Croft's comparative concept

imperative-hortative (INF):

imperative-hortative (INF) = a speech act which requests that the action expressed in the propositional content of the imperative–hortative be carried out, prototypically by the addressee but possibly by other persons. Example: Dance! is an example of the English imperative–hortative construction for the second person, and Let's dance! is an example of the same for the first person plural. The term "hortative" is sometimes used for a first person imperative–hortative, and "jussive" for a third person imperative–hortative. A negative imperative–hortative is a prohibitive. (Sections 12.1, 12.4)

Quotation

"A directive is a particular kind of semantic object, characteristically associated with imperative sentences. It is the kind of object that can be issued by uttering such a sentence, and fullfilled by causing the conditions associated with the sentence to be met." (Sag et al. 2003: 560)

Sources

Sag et al. 2003