1. Discourse analysis, lecture 6
May 2012
Carina Jahani

2. Deixis
Greek: deixis ”display, demonstration, reference” point of reference

3. Deixis
deixis refers to the phenomenon wherein understanding the meaning of certain words and phrases in an utterance requires contextual information
I think it is warm here today
Who thinks?
Where is it warm?
When is it warm?

4. Deictic centre
A deictic center, sometimes referred to as an origo (ground zero), is a set of theoretical points that a deictic expression is ‘anchored’ to, such that the evaluation of the meaning of the expression leads one to the relevant point.
Deictic expressions are frequently egocentric, in which case the center often consists of the speaker at the time and place of the utterance (I, here, now).

5. Deictic centre Absolute and relative tense
Direct and indirect deictic centre

6. Types of deixis Person deixis Social deixis Time deixis
Place (space) deixis

7. Person deixis
Person deixis concerns itself with the grammatical persons involved in an utterance (speaker, addressee, persons mentioned).

8. Social deixis and honorific
Involves the persons
Marking of social status
Often 2rd person pronouns, sometimes also 3rd person pronouns
Honorifics various morphological markings as well as different lexicons being used based on the social status of the interactants.

9. Time deixis
Time, or temporal, deixis concerns itself with the various times involved in and referred to in an utterance.
Verb tense
Temporal adverbs

10. Direct and indirect time reference
Absolute and relative tense
Could you please buy me some stamps, if you go to town this afternoon.
Persian:
If you went to town this afternoon, could you please buy me some stamps.

11. Two deictic centres
Ikväll när jag kommer hem ska du ha gjort dina läxor.
(Tonight when I get home you must have done
your homework.)

12. Direct and indirect use of temporal adverbs
today, tomorrow
See Roberts (2009: ) and Barjasteh Delforooz (2010: ) for interesting exs of indirect use.
now
See Barjasteh Delforooz (2010: )

13. ”now” in Balochi proximal temporal deixis (4.2, 4.3)
the time frame of the narration
(4.6, 4.7)
the next event
(4.8, 4.9, 4.10)
the previous event
(4.11, 4.12)

14. ”now” in Balochi non-temporal use of now
To focus on important information
”developmental now”
(4.13)
”now of conclusion”
(4.14)

15. Place (space) deixis
Place deixis, also known as space deixis, concerns itself with the spatial locations relevant to an utterance (this-that, here-there). Three-way distinction: idā, ōdā, ādā. Complex systems: up here, down here, up there, down there etc.
Motion verbs
come – go
bring - take

16. Motion verbs and the deictic centre
The king sent his soldiers to bring the dragon. The dragon was not willing to go but they brought it by force. Deictic centre Speaker’s perspective

17. Bring and take
Contrary to what some might believe, “bring” and “take” are oftentimes interchangeable. While there may be those who prefer to observe a distinction between “bring” and “take”, it does not mean that those who do not observe this distinction are wrong.

18. Speaker’s perspective
Oftentimes the choice between “take” and “bring” depends on the speaker’s point of view. He brings his lunch to work every day. (emphasizes movement in the direction of the destination) She takes her lunch to work every day. (emphasizes movement away from the starting point) This is the idea: “They take their lunch away from home. They bring their lunch to their workplace.

19. Speaker’s perspective
It’s going to rain. Remember to take an umbrella with you.
carry it with you from the point at which you start
It’s going to rain. Remember to bring an umbrella with you.
carry it with you to your destination

20. Types of deixis Discourse deixis
Discourse deixis, also referred to as text deixis, refers to the use of expressions within an utterance to refer to parts of the discourse that contains the utterance – including the discourse itself.
In this text, below, aforementioned, above etc. etc.

21. Anaphoric reference
In anaphora, as opposed to cataphora, reference is made based on preceding parts of the utterance.
Susan looked at herself in the mirror.

22. Cataphoric reference
In cataphora, reference is made based on succeeding parts of the utterance.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Susan realized that she had lost some weight.

23. Exophoric and homophoric reference
An exophoric reference is to language outside of the text in which the reference is found. ”Did you watch that movie.” (As opposed to endophoric reference, found in the text) A homphoric reference is a generic phrase that obtains a specific meaning through knowledge of its context. ”The king”, ”the president”