A locutionary act refers to the basic act of producing sounds, words, or phrases that convey a specific meaning. It is the literal aspect of communication, focusing on the actual words spoken or written. For example, when someone says, "It's cold outside," the locutionary act is simply the utterance of those words, which conveys a straightforward message about the temperature.
In the study of linguistics and philosophy of language, locutionary acts are part of a broader framework that includes illocutionary acts and perlocutionary acts. While locutionary acts deal with the content of the message, illocutionary acts focus on the speaker's intention, and perlocutionary acts consider the effect on the listener. Understanding these distinctions helps clarify how language functions