Deixis in pragmatics is a crucial concept that addresses how the meaning of linguistic expressions changes depending on the communication context.
Various types of deixis exist, including linguistic deixis (e.g., personal pronouns, tense markers, spatial/temporal adverbs), as well as social and logical deixis.
Understanding the characteristics of each type is essential for effective communication and contextual comprehension.
Ⅰ Introduction
Deixis is an important concept in communication, encompassing linguistic expressions whose meanings change depending on the context. We will cover various types of deixis, starting with linguistic deixis, and then moving on to temporal, spatial, social, logical, discourse, and symbolic deixis. This will allow us to clearly understand the nature of deixis and the characteristics of each type. We will then explain each in the main body.
Ⅱ Main Body
1. What is Deixis?
① The Concept of Deixis
Deixis refers to the contextual referential relationship that can only be understood through context or situation when a speaker points to an object while speaking. It also forms a definite reference while satisfying characteristics such as the verifiability and limitation of the referent and the speaker's origin dependency.
For example, deictic expressions such as 'I', 'you', 'this', 'that', 'now', and 'then' cannot be clearly understood without context or situation.
Deictic expressions include demonstratives, pronouns such as personal pronouns, tense, specific time adverbs, place adverbs, and various grammatical features directly related to the speech situation.
For example, words like "here", "there", "today", "tomorrow", and "then" have different meanings depending on the context. When the speaker uses these words, the listener must consider the context to understand their meaning. Deixis plays a very important role in linguistic communication, and understanding the context is essential for effective communication.
② Center of Deixis
This refers to the reference point when the speaker points to an object. It is expressed centering on the speaker and can change fluidly depending on the context and situation, through which meaning is conveyed.
③ Usage of Deixis
In terms of expressing deixis, if the meaning is unclear, referring to its meaning through context is called symbolic usage, and pointing to an object through gestures or expressions is called gesture usage.
2. Classification of Deixis
① Linguistic Deixis:
It refers to the contextual referential relationship and can only be understood through context or situation. This includes various deictic expressions, and the referent is accurately identified depending on the context or situation. Linguistic deixis refers to pointing to a specific object or location through language, and a typical example is a personal pronoun (I, you, he, she, etc.).
Linguistic deixis is mainly achieved through specific words or expressions, and its meaning is determined by the context. For example, words like "here", "there", "this", "that", "I", and "you" refer to specific objects or locations depending on the speech situation, and their meanings change depending on the context.
Linguistic deixis is an important concept in linguistics and is related to various research areas. It plays a key role in understanding and interpreting the meaning of language and is one of the essential elements for effective communication.
② Temporal Deixis:
Temporal deixis plays an important role in linguistic communication. It conveys information related to the time of utterance to the other party, providing a clear temporal context and facilitating smooth communication. Furthermore, because the expression of time differs depending on culture and language, it is important to understand these differences and respond appropriately.
Temporal deixis is the explanation of the concepts of time, place, and people existing in the world we live in, in relation to language, regardless of language. We can view time on an axis and see the world's concepts moving along the axis or the concept of time moving on the axis.
Typical temporal deictic expressions include "now", "today", "tomorrow", "yesterday", "now", and "then". These expressions refer to present, past, and future times based on the point of utterance and can clearly convey the temporal context of the utterance.
In the relationship between temporal concepts and language, time exists as a concept in the world we live in, and language explains concepts related to time, place, and people. From the perspective of understanding time, we consider time placed on an axis and the world's concepts moving along the axis, as well as the concept of time changing on the axis.
The perspective on the temporal axis can be understood by viewing time as a constant and the world as something solid, or by the world's axis flowing from the future to the past. Based on this perspective, we can explain time using the metaphors of "moving world" and "moving time".
Units of time may or may not depend on the calendar, and can be divided into locative and non-locative units. Input time refers to the moment of utterance, and reception time refers to the moment of understanding. Deixis occurs where the temporal location changes depending on the context of the utterance.
③ Spatial Deixis:
Spatial deixis is a concept used in language and communication that refers to spatial location or direction. Typical examples include "this way", "that way", "over there", "in front", and "behind". These expressions refer to specific locations or directions depending on the context. Spatial deixis provides a relative spatial context related to the location of the speaker or listener and can be interpreted differently depending on the situation.
Spatial deixis is important for facilitating communication and clearly conveying situations. Deixis occurs where the space being pointed to changes depending on the speech scene, and this is important for understanding the exact meaning by considering the context of the speech. For example, in the sentence "Let's meet in front of this school," 'this school' indicates a different space depending on the speech scene. Therefore, it is important to use appropriate spatial deictic expressions to clearly convey the situation.
④ Social Deixis:
Social deixis is one of the important concepts in language and communication. It refers to social situations or relationships, and typical examples include "professor", "mother", "friend", and "boss". These expressions indicate specific social positions or relationships.
Social deixis is a concept used in pragmatics, referring to deixis that indicates social status and relationships depending on the speech scene. For example, the honorific "To the esteemed professor" can be used to express social status. Also, as in the examples of "Are you going to school?" and "Are you going to school, sir?", the ending can indicate social relationships.
Social deixis is expressed in various ways, and it is important to understand the exact meaning by considering the context of the utterance. It plays an important role in forming interactions and relationships. Therefore, by using appropriate social deixis in language and communication, we can maintain smoother relationships with others.
⑤ Logical Deixis:
Logical deixis refers to the logical relationship between the speaker and listener, and is mainly used when explaining logical states, conditions, and events. It is an important element that indicates the logical flow of conversations or texts, and is mainly used in arguments or logical deduction.
Typical examples of logical deixis include "therefore", "thus", and "namely". These expressions are mainly used to reveal the form of logical arguments or to clarify the logical relationship between previously introduced arguments and conclusions. Through these mentions, the logical consistency of the utterance can be maintained, and a clear logical structure can be provided to the listener.
This logical deixis helps to clearly convey the meaning of the utterance and maintain logical consistency. It is particularly used to indicate the structure of logical arguments or to specify the logical relationship between previously presented claims and conclusions. Therefore, the speaker's intention can be clearly conveyed using logical deixis.