10.1 Types of deixis: person, time, place, and discourse

Deixis is all about pointing with words. It's how we use language to reference people, places, times, and parts of a conversation. Understanding deixis helps us grasp how context shapes meaning in communication.

There are four main types of deixis: person, time, place, and discourse. Each type uses specific words and expressions to anchor the speaker's message in context, making communication more efficient and effective.

Types of Deixis

Types and examples of deixis

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• Person deixis encodes the participants in a speech event using pronouns
  • First-person pronouns refer to the speaker(s) (I, me, we, us)
  • Second-person pronouns refer to the addressee(s) (you)
  • Third-person pronouns refer to others not directly involved in the speech event (he, she, it, they, them)
• Time deixis encodes temporal points and spans relative to the time of utterance
  • Adverbs of time indicate when an event occurs relative to the speech event (now, then, yesterday, today, tomorrow)
  • Tense markers signal the time of the action or state described (present, past, future)
• Place deixis encodes spatial locations relative to the location of the participants
  • Demonstratives indicate the proximity of the referent to the speaker (this, that, these, those)
  • Adverbs of place specify the location of the referent relative to the speaker (here, there)
• Discourse deixis refers to parts of the discourse containing the utterance
  • Anaphoric expressions refer back to previously mentioned entities (it, this, that, the latter, the former)
  • Cataphoric expressions refer forward to upcoming parts of the discourse (the following, in the next chapter)

Deixis in contextual interpretation

• Person deixis establishes roles and relationships of participants
  • Identifies the speaker, addressee, and others referred to
  • Helps interpret the utterance based on the participants' roles
• Time deixis anchors the utterance in a specific temporal context
  • Allows the listener to interpret the utterance relative to the time of speaking
  • Provides a temporal framework for understanding the described events
• Place deixis establishes the spatial context of the utterance
  • Helps the listener locate the referents relative to the speaker's location
  • Clarifies the spatial relationships between the participants and the referents
• Discourse deixis connects different parts of the discourse
  • Facilitates the interpretation of the utterance in relation to the surrounding text or conversation
  • Helps maintain coherence and cohesion within the discourse

Functions of deictic expressions

• All deictic expressions are context-dependent and require situational context for interpretation
• Each type of deixis focuses on a different aspect of the context
  1. Person deixis: participants and their roles
  2. Time deixis: temporal context and relative timing of events
  3. Place deixis: spatial context and location of referents
  4. Discourse deixis: textual context and connections within the discourse
• Specific expressions used for each type of deixis vary
  • Person deixis primarily uses pronouns
  • Time deixis employs adverbs and tense markers
  • Place deixis utilizes demonstratives and adverbs
  • Discourse deixis involves anaphoric and cataphoric expressions

Role of deixis in communication

• Deixis is essential for successful communication
  • Allows efficient reference to entities, times, places, and parts of the discourse
  • Reduces the need for repetition and lengthy descriptions
• Establishes a shared context between the speaker and listener
  • Enables the listener to interpret the utterance based on the situational context
  • Facilitates coordination of attention and understanding between interlocutors
• Deictic expressions orient the listener by
  • Guiding attention to specific aspects of the context relevant to interpretation
  • Creating common ground to ensure effective communication