Phraseological units, unlike simple words, are stable combinations that have a holistic and expressive force in terms of meaning. In speech they play not only a semantic but also a pragmatic role. In linguistics, pragmatics is considered the field that studies the relationship between the speaker and the listener in the process of speech communication, the purpose and the effect of speech. “Speech act is the pronouncing of a certain sentence in a definite communication environment. The formation of the content of the speech act is the result of the enrichment and perception of the meaning of the sentence being pronounced by the speaker and the listener in relation to the text of communication. Therefore, the formation of the content of the speech act and its realization are directly connected with the communication purpose and intention of the speaker.” [Safarov, 2008, b.79] From this point of view, the theory of speech acts plays an important role in explaining the functional essence of language units, especially phraseological units, in communication.

According to M.Buzrukova, a speech act is one of the main concepts of pragmatics, a goal-directed communicative action, and it is carried out in accordance with the rules of language action.  As Sh. Safarov states, the theory of speech acts has been formed as a complete doctrine in the works of the English logician [Buzrukova, 2020, p.108]. J.Austin, the American psychologist J. Searle and other scholars. This theory, indeed, was put forward by the English philosopher J.L. Austin and later developed by J. Searle. According to it, any speaker acts at three levels during the speech process: at the level of locutive, illocutive and perlocutive acts. These three levels do not bypass phraseological units either, because phraseological units are considered one of the means that most enrich and refine speech.

The pragmatic nature of phraseological units, first of all, is connected with for what purpose, in which context and in what expressive effect they are used in speech. From the point of view of speech acts, each phraseologism is not only a language unit, but a means expressing a certain communicative intention. Language units, especially phraseologisms, are units reflecting the most complex layers of human thinking. They are not limited only to semantic meaning, but also embody pragmatic aspects such as the actual purpose of communication, evaluation and emotional attitude toward it. Therefore, in analyzing the meaning of phraseological units more deeply, it is important to examine them from the point of view of the theory of speech acts. Analyzing the locutive, illocutive and perlocutive meanings of phraseological units helps to reveal their pragmatic essence.

“During the process of speech act and in delivering information intended for a certain target audience, the role and functions of phraseological units are communicatively relevant.” [Belozerova, 2015, b. 93]. As Belozerova notes, the role of phraseological units in the speech act is determined by the fact that they express not only the lexical meaning (locutive meaning), but also the speaker’s intention (illocutive meaning), and influence the listener (perlocutive meaning). Therefore, phraseologisms are considered one of the most active and relevant means in delivering information aimed at a target audience.

Result and discussion

Locutive act is what the speaker says, that is, the meaning expressed directly in the semantic form of the phrase. The locutive meaning of phraseological units usually differs from the literal meanings of their components. Therefore, phraseological combinations at the locutive level appear as semantic wholes.For example, the Uzbek expression “ko‘ziga cho‘p solmoq” literally expresses a physical action, but in phraseological meaning it has the meaning “to accuse,” “to reproach.” The English expression “to spill the beans” is similar: although it literally means “to spill beans,” in phraseological meaning it means “to reveal a secret.”

Thus, the locutive meaning of phraseological units is determined not by their denotative or lexical meaning but by their position in the semantic system established in the language in a stable form. In this sense, the locutive level forms the surface form of the phraseological unit.

Locutive meaning is the literal, grammatical meaning of the phraseological unit, that is, its external structure. At this stage no semantic shift has occurred, so it is perceived only as “the said form.”

For example, when the Uzbek phrase “ilonni yog‘ini yalagan” is analyzed at the locutive level, it gives the direct image “a person who has licked the oil of a snake’s body.” Grammatically correct, but semantically unusual. Similarly, the English expression “to spill the beans” at the locutive level gives the meaning “to pour out beans.” At this stage, the semantic, emotional or evaluative aspects of the phraseologism are not determined. It exists as a form in language, but the purpose in speech is not yet defined.

Illocutive act is the level expressing the speaker’s intention, purpose or intention. In speech the speaker uses phraseological combinations not for their direct meaning but for a certain communicative purpose — to warn, persuade, scold, mock or encourage someone.

For example, in Uzbek “tosh yurak bo‘lma!” does not literally mean “do not let your heart be stone,” but expresses the illocutive meaning “be compassionate,” “be kind.” Here the speaker expects a certain action from the listener — this phrase belongs to the directive-request type of illocution.

In English, “Break a leg!” literally means “break your leg,” but at the illocutive level it expresses the positive intention “I wish you luck.” Thus, it belongs to the illocution of good wish or support.

Illocutive meaning expresses the purpose intended by the speaker. That is, what the speaker wants to convey through this phrase, in what intention — this meaning is revealed at the illocutive level. Illocutive meaning usually appears in the figurative meaning of phraseologisms. The Uzbek phrase “ilonni yog‘ini yalagan” in context can express meanings such as “cunning,” “tricky,” “skillful” or “business-minded.”

 This situation shows the contextual variability of phraseologisms — their pragmatic adaptability. According to G. Lakoff and M. Johnson, “Phraseological units are the linguistic expression of metaphorical models directly connected to human conceptual thinking” [Safarov, 2008, b.79]. Therefore the illocutive meaning of phraseological units is determined by human cultural experience and cognitive model — the way a person thinks, understands and perceives reality. A phraseologism may express different evaluations in different cultures. For example, the English expression “a snake in the grass” always has a negative (“treacherous”) meaning, while the Uzbek “ilonni yog‘ini yalagan” in some cases expresses a positive (“skillful,” “quick”), in other cases negative (“tricky”) evaluation.

Perlocutive act is the level connected with how the speaker’s words influence the listener. That is, through this act the listener’s emotional state, mood or further actions change. Perlocutive meaning is the effect of the phraseological unit on the listener. As J. Austin states, “the speaker’s speech not only expresses a certain purpose but also evokes a certain emotional or social reaction in the listener.” According to N. I. Formanovskaya, speech influence is one of the leading features: on the one hand setting a purpose reflecting the speaker’s will, on the other hand urging the receiver to act. [Formanovskaya, 2008, c.306].  When people enter communication, there are always certain intentions underlying their speech. In this regard phraseological units are in no way inferior to other language units; on the contrary, they serve to express the intended meaning and purpose behind speech more interestingly and expressively.

For example, the Uzbek phrase “ilonni yog‘ini yalagan” evokes suspicion, laughter, amazement or approval in the listener. Thus the perlocutive meaning of phraseologisms shows their potential for influence. Similarly, the English “to spill the beans” evokes in the listener the idea “the secret has been revealed.” This phrase is semantically close to the Uzbek “og‘zidan chiqib ketdi” or “sirni aytib qo‘ydi,” but their perlocutive effect differs in cultural context: in Uzbek environment this situation is evaluated as rudeness, while in English it is often regarded as a simple mistake or “human moment.”

The perlocutive meaning of phraseological units is manifested through their emotional and expressive power. For example, “tosh yurak bo‘lma!” may evoke compassion, pity or shame in the listener — this is perlocutive effect. The English “you’ve hit the nail on the head” evokes approval, joy or praise. Or through the phrase “You made my day” the speaker expresses sincere gratitude — its perlocutive effect is to encourage the listener.

The perlocutive effect of phraseological units is often determined by emotional values specific to culture. In Uzbek speech culture expressions often reflect softness, respect and politeness, while in English they often reflect firmness, humor or friendly support. Although the locutive, illocutive and perlocutive meaning of phraseological units exists in both languages, their methods of expression differ depending on national thinking and culture.

In conclusion, studying the locutive, illocutive and perlocutive meanings of phraseological units helps to reveal fully their semantic-pragmatic nature.

• Locutive level — the direct form of the expression.
• Illocutive level — expresses the speaker’s intention and communicative purpose.
• Perlocutive level — the effect and emotional reaction produced in the listener.

Locutive level expresses the semantic form of the expression. Illocutive level shows the speaker’s communicative purpose — why he said so. Perlocutive level means the real effect produced in the listener — what feeling or reaction arose.In addition, phraseologisms are extremely important means in expressing the pragmatic force of speech, that is, the speaker’s illocutive intention. They strengthen the overall meaning of the sentence and convey more clearly the speaker’s attitude; illocutive purposes such as evaluation, irony, positive or negative attitude often appear naturally and convincingly through phraseologisms.