What is "deixis"

deixis \deixis\ (d[imac]k"s[i^]s), n. (Grammar) the function or operation of a deictic word; 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.

1949, from Greek deixis "reference." Related: Deictic.

n. (context linguistics English) A reference within a sentence that relies on the context being known to interpret correctly.

n. 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

In linguistics, deixis refers to words and phrases, such as “me” or “here”, that cannot be fully understood without additional contextual information -- in this case, the identity of the speaker (“me”) and the speaker's location (“here”). Words are deictic if their semantic meaning is fixed but their denotational meaning varies depending on time and/or place. Words or phrases that require contextual information to convey any meaning – for example, English pronouns – are deictic. Deixis is closely related to anaphora, as will be further explained below. Although this article deals primarily with deixis in spoken language, the concept can apply to written language, gestures, and communication media as well. Although this article draws examples primarily from English, deixis is believed to be a feature (to some degree) of all natural languages. The term’s origin is , the meaning point of reference in contemporary linguistics having been taken over from Chrysippus.