It should be quite clear, then, that there are no criteria to be laid down in general for distinguishing the real from the not real.

A sentence is made up of words, a statement is made in words.... Statements are made, words or sentences are used.

Going back into the history of a word, very often into Latin, we come back pretty commonly to pictures or models of how things happen or are done.

I begin, then, with some remarks about 'the meaning of a word.' I think many persons now see all or part of what I shall say: but not all do, and there is a tendency to forget, or to get it slightly wrong. In so far as I am merely flogging the converted, I apologize to them.

Sentences are not as such either true or false.

You are more than entitled not to know what the word 'performative' means. It is a new word and an ugly word, and perhaps it doesnot mean anything very much. But at any rate there is one thing in its favor, it is not a profound word.

Usually it is uses of words, not words in themselves, that are properly called vague.