As the information system in our modern technology world becomes more and more important, the research about language and especially commuication has grown to a major element of today’s scholarship. Pragmatics, as a linguistic science dealing with communication, generally is “concernedwith the study of meaning as communicated by a speaker (or writer) and interpreted by a listener (or reader)”(see Yule,1996: 3). Thus, not the actual meaning of the words are decisive, but the interpretation of the utterance.
A simple principle of language use is the fact, that the more two speakers have in common, the less language they will need to use to identify familiar things. When two persons share the same physical context, the speaker frequently uses demonstratives, pronouns, adverbs and other grammatical features to establish a relationship between language and context. We call these words indexicals and the function of language deictic.
In today’s society deictic usage of laguage becomes more and more problematic. Lyon states: “Thefacts of deixis should act as a constant reminder […] that natural languages are primarily desigend, so to speak, for use in face-to-face interaction, and thus there are limits to the extent to which they can be analysed […]”(Lyons, 1977 in Levinson, 1983: 54). The permanent application of communicative aids like computers, cellphones or pagers evokes a lack of face-to-face interaction and increases the amount of disaccords during a conversation. In this paper I will illustrate and illuminate the different modes of deictic expressions and ascribe it to the problem of understanding in today’s society.
First, I will give a short definition of deixis as well as a historical grading. Below, I will concentrate on the three major categories person, place and time and briefly on the subcategories social and discourse deixis. Considering as examples the specific categories and their special features will be described and analysed. I conclude with a brief survey about grammar and whether the field of deixis should be classified in pragmatics or in semantics. Finally, I will give a short conclusion that works up the problem of understanding via deictic expression in today’s society.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Deixis – Definition
3 History – Bühler’s Sprachtheorie
4 Some Properties of Deixis
5 Deictic Categories
5.1 Person Deixis
5.2 Social Deixis
5.3 Time Deixis
5.4 Place Deixis
5.5 Discourse Deixis
6 Deixis and Grammar
7 Deixis between Semantics and Pragmatics
8 Conclusion
9 Bibliography
Objectives and Research Focus
The main objective of this work is to examine the linguistic phenomenon of deixis and its role in human communication, specifically addressing how modern technological changes impact the clarity of deictic expressions. The research investigates whether these expressions, which rely heavily on immediate physical context, are becoming increasingly problematic for interpersonal understanding in a technologically driven society.
- Theoretical foundations of deixis based on Bühler’s language theory.
- Categorization and analysis of deictic modes: person, place, time, social, and discourse deixis.
- The distinction between gestural and symbolic usage of deictic terms.
- The relationship between deictic expressions, grammar, and communicative context.
- The classification debate: deixis as a borderline case between semantics and pragmatics.
Excerpts from the Book
3 History – Bühler’s Sprachtheorie
As I already mentioned the term deixis is borrowed from the greek word for pointing or indicating. In its recent meaning it refers to the theory of language by Karl Bühler published in 1934 and translated into English by D. Fraser Goodwin in 1963. In his “Sprachtheorie” Bühler eleborated the organon model which can be seen as the most important forerunner for deixis.
By using this model Bühler presents language as a tool or organum for a person who is communicating with another. During a communication the speaker (sender) is talking to the listener (receiver) about the world. In every single utterance there are three main functions that can be distinguished: representation, expression and appeal. Usually one of them is dominating, object-oriented communication is representative, communication that is focused on the feelings of the speaker is expressive and communication that is focused on the listener is an appeal. The circle in the middle symbolizes the concrete given sound, the triangle above the meaning of the sound.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Introduces the linguistic study of pragmatics and the importance of deixis in face-to-face communication, highlighting the potential for misunderstandings in modern, technologically mediated interactions.
2 Deixis – Definition: Provides a fundamental definition of deixis as a linguistic sign that encodes the relationship between language and its immediate spatio-temporal and social context.
3 History – Bühler’s Sprachtheorie: Discusses Karl Bühler’s organon model and his "Zweifeldtheorie," which conceptually separates the lexicon into symbol words and deictic words.
4 Some Properties of Deixis: Examines the distinction between gestural and symbolic usage and introduces the concept of egocentricity as a primary characteristic of deictic modes.
5 Deictic Categories: Explores the five subcategories (person, social, time, place, discourse deixis) and demonstrates how they often overlap in usage.
6 Deixis and Grammar: Analyzes how deictic expressions function as a bridge between grammatical structure and situational context, including their role in indirect speech.
7 Deixis between Semantics and Pragmatics: Addresses the theoretical challenge of classifying deixis, ultimately positioning it as a field that spans both semantic and pragmatic domains.
8 Conclusion: Summarizes the descriptive findings and reaffirms the argument that natural language remains optimized for face-to-face interaction, suggesting that modern technology struggles to accommodate deictic requirements.
9 Bibliography: Lists the academic resources and literature referenced throughout the paper.
Keywords
Deixis, Pragmatics, Semantics, Bühler, Origo, Person Deixis, Social Deixis, Time Deixis, Place Deixis, Discourse Deixis, Face-to-face interaction, Egocentricity, Gestural usage, Symbolic usage, Contextual parameters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper explores the linguistic concept of deixis—expressions that depend on the physical, temporal, or social context of the speaker—and evaluates their importance in communication.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The work covers the history of deictic theory, various deictic categories (person, place, time, social, discourse), their grammatical functions, and their classification within linguistics.
What is the main research question?
The research asks how deictic expressions function in different contexts and argues that modern communication aids create challenges for understanding because they often lack the shared physical context essential for deictic clarity.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The study uses a descriptive and analytical approach, drawing on established linguistic theories from scholars such as Levinson, Bühler, and Fillmore to categorize and examine examples of deictic usage.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body details the specific categories of deixis, the distinction between gestural and symbolic usage, the role of "origo" (the zero point of deixis), and the interplay between grammar and contextual meaning.
Which keywords best describe the paper?
Key terms include Deixis, Pragmatics, Context, Egocentricity, Origo, Communication, and Interpersonal understanding.
How does the paper differentiate between gestural and symbolic deictic usage?
Gestural usage requires immediate physical reference (e.g., pointing or eye contact) for interpretation, while symbolic usage relies on the listener's knowledge of the general communicative situation.
What does the author conclude about the impact of technology on language?
The author concludes that because language is fundamentally designed for face-to-face interaction, the use of modern communication technology often leads to "deictic projection" issues, which increase the potential for misunderstanding.
- Quote paper
- Tanja Winterberg (Author), 2004, Deixis and Distance, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/57060
