Deixis

1

• Deixis
• Module 2
• 2008-9
• Lesson 7

2

• A definition of deixis
• Deixis is pointing language. We use deictic
  expressions or indexicals to signal a referent
  and relate that referent to common ground shared
  by the speaker and the addressee. They situate
  the speaker and the addressee in relation to each
  other and the world around them.
• In other words, deixis helps us to identify
  things in time and space

3

• Person deixis
• a) Terms referring to speaker and addressee I,
  me, my,mine, you, your yours
• Is there a difference between these
• - I want to see you, you but not you
• - you can never tell if they are boys are girls
  these days
• b) Terms not referring to speaker or addressee
  he, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its, they,
  them, their, theirs
• c) Honorifics -Your Majesty, sir,
• These terms of social deixis indicate social
  status

4

• Time deixis
• Expressions referring to time
• five minutes ago
• tomorrow
• last week
• next Monday
• Choice of tense
• - present tense - he doesnt know
• this is proximal
• - past tense yesterday I slept for 10 hours
• this communicates distance from current time
• - conditionals if I won the lottery I would
• this communicates distance from current
  reality

5

• Spatial deixis
• Spatial deixis refers to proximity to or distance
  from the speaker.
• These can be single words
• here
• there
• this
• that
• or expressions two kilometres from the school
• 500 meters away
• and words/expressions referring to direction
  and/or movement
• to my left
• under the carpet
• fetch, take, bring
• she came home
• she went home

6

• Interpretation of deictic terms
• We interpret deictic terms by looking at aspects
  of context such as
• - who is speaking
• - the time of speaking
• - the location of the speaker
• - gestures or body language of the speaker
• - the topic of the discourse