Definition

1. Noun:
   • The function of pointing or specifying from the perspective of a participant in an act of speech or writing: In linguistics, deixis refers to the way language uses words and phrases whose meaning depends entirely on the specific context of the utterance. These words "point" to people, places, times, or objects relative to the speaker and listener.
   • Aspects of a communication whose interpretation depends on knowledge of the context in which the communication occurs: Deixis encompasses the linguistic elements that require shared situational knowledge between the speaker and the hearer to be understood correctly.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Words like "here," "there," "this," "that," "now," and "then" are classic examples of deixis.
  • The interpretation of the pronoun "I" is a matter of deixis, as it refers to the person who is speaking.
  • Understanding deixis is crucial for comprehending how meaning is anchored in a specific speech situation.

Advanced Usage

• Deictic center: The central reference point, typically the speaker's "here" and "now," from which deictic expressions are interpreted.
  • In the sentence "Come here," the deictic center is the speaker's current location.
• Deictic shift: A change in the perspective from which deictic terms are interpreted, often occurring in narratives.
  • The novel uses a deictic shift, moving the narrative viewpoint from the protagonist to a different character.

Variants and Related Words

• Deictic (adj): Pertaining to or functioning as deixis.
  • "This" and "you" are deictic words.
• Deictically (adv): In a deictic manner.
  • The adverb "here" is used deictically to point to a location.

Synonyms

• Indexicality: The property of a sign (like a word) that points to some aspect of its context of use. (A closely related concept in semiotics and philosophy of language.)
• Context-dependence: The quality of having a meaning that relies on the context.

Related Concepts (Not Phrasal Verbs or Idioms)

• Person deixis: Deixis that points to the participants in a conversation (e.g., I, you, we).
• Place deixis: Deixis that points to locations (e.g., here, there, this city).
• Time deixis: Deixis that points to times (e.g., now, then, tomorrow, last week).
• Discourse deixis: Deixis that points to parts of the ongoing discourse itself (e.g., "as mentioned in the previous chapter").
• Social deixis: Deixis that encodes social distinctions and relationships (e.g., honorifics like "Mr." or "Dr.").

Noun

1. the function of pointing or specifying from the perspective of a participant in an act of speech or writing; aspects of a communication whose interpretation depends on knowledge of the context in which the communication occurs