Deixis

Cruse (2004 : 332) defines deixis as “different things to different

people” . the definition suggests “variability” – the condition of being likely to
vary or change. A particular entity is something for someone. Interstingly, the
same entity is something else for someone else. Jakarta, for instance, is
refferend to as here by people living in Jakarta, but as there by the people living
outside the city. Atun is reffered to as I by atun herself, you by her interlocutor,
and she in absence. August to as today on August 17b, yesterday on August 18,
and tomorrow on August 16.

1. Spatial Deixis

Spatial deixis takes the form locative adverbs such as here and there, and
demonstrative adjectives or pronouns such as this, these, that and the those.
Here and there are closely related to distance of place itself. Cruse (2004 : 334)
points out that “…here means something like “region relatively close the
speaker”, and there means “relatively distant from the speaker”. “the adverb
relatively means that the distance indicated by here or there is not stable. The
point of place with distance of two metres long will be indicated with here if the
distance between the speaker an the hearer is about, say, then metres long. On
the other hand, the point of the place will be indicated with there if the distance
between the speaker and hearer Is less than two metre.

This , these, that and those are more related to an entity or entities on the
place. An entity will be indicated with this if it is close to the speaker. But the
same entity will be indicated with that if it is distant from the speaker. For
example:
(1) “Whose book I this?”, asks Heni, touching the book
(2) “that is Anita’s “, john answers.

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 In (1) that indicates the book. But In (2) the same book is indicated
with that.

2. Person Deixis
In conversation, one is likely to talk about himself, address the hearers, or
talk about people who are not involved. When he talk about himself, he refers
to himself by using the pronoun / (or we if he involves the others ). When he
addresses the hearer (s), he refresh to them with the pronoun you. When hi
talks about a person (persons) who is not in involved in the conversation he
refresh by using the pronouns. They are classified into three categories.
a. The first person (the speaker):I, we
b. The second person (the addressee) : you
c. The third person (the person spoken of) : he, she, they.

The pronouns belong to the deictic words.

The referents of deictic words are not stable, that is, relative to a
particular context. On one occasion, I applies to mary because mary I speaker.
But on another occasion the same deictic word, I, applies to John because John
is speaking. Besides I, you also applies to Mary and John if one (or booth) of
them is spoken to. She and he also apply to them respectively if they are
spoken of.

Person deixis has a “rule of dominance” to form plurality in case two or,
more different pronouns get together. Cruse (2004 : 335) gives a clear
description of the rules as he says “…..first person dominates second and
third, and second dominates third”. For example,

(3) You are from Toraja and I am Tangerang. We come here to study
applied English Linguistics.

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 (4) You took the stone, he threw it to my window, breaking its glass. You
both must be responsible.

In (3) you and become we. And in (4) you and he become you.

3. Social Deixis
Social deixis concerns the way of addressing another. Linguists,
especially sociolinguists, usually use TV (tu/vous) pronouns as an example to
explain how people address each other. Tu and vous mean the same thing, you.
But they are used differently, relative to the speaker, hearer, and situation.
There are two patterns of the use of tu/vous pronouns: symmetrical and
asymmetrical. A symmetrical use of tu/vous pronouns is an event in wich, for
example, A addresses B with tu or vous, and A receives the same tu or vous
from B. A symmetrical use of tu indicates equality plus intimacy plus
informality in the case of, for example, two or more close frieds in a canteen
addressing among others. And a symmetrical use of vous suggests equality
plus intimacy plus formality (not informality) in the case of, for example, the
appearance of a husband and wife on a television program where they addres
each other with vous. Also, a symmetrical use of vous indicates equality minus
intimacy plus formality in the case, for instance, the meeting of two managers
of two different companies who are discussing decisive matters for the sake
their respective companies.
An asymmetrical of tu/vous pronouns is an event where, for example, A
addresses B with vous, but he receives tu form B. in this case A is socially
inferior to B, and B is socially more powerful than A. this kind of an
asymmetrical use of tu/vous pronouns is determined by the difference of a
social status.

4. Temporal Deixis

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 People communicate among others, describing some events happening or
some entities exiting in a particular point or space of time. A particular point
of space of time can be prior to, concurrent with, or subsequent to the moment
of utterance the people make these three division of time can be using there
groups of words:
a. Now and then
b. Last, this and text

Now is used to indicate a particular point or space of time wich is

concurrent with the moment of utterance. And then can be used to indicate a
point or space of time either before or after the moment f utterance. For
example :

(5) She is reading a magazine now.

(6) Ardi : what do you think of your childhood?
Dono : I was very then.
(7) Parto : hello, Rini. What about seeing our ailing friend, Udin, in
the hospital now?
Rini : I am very busy at the moment. I have to finish typing the
paper. What about at one o’clock?
Parto : one o’clock will be fin. OK, I will pick you up then. See
you!
Rini : bye!

In (5), now refers to the present time, and in (6) and (7), then indicate the past
and future times respectively.

Besides now and then, we have yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Each
refers to the twenty-four hour period of time. Out of the there, one, that is,
today, includes the moment of utterance, whereas the other two do not.
Yesterday precedes today, and tomorrow follows today.

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 Last, this, and text are followed by larger span of the time units, such as
week, month, and year. For example :

Last, this and next week

Last, this and text month

Last, this and text year

Week refers to the seven day period of time, month to the twenty-eight
through thirty-one day period of time, and year twelve month period of time.
Out of last, this, and next, this includes the moment of utterance, while the
other two do not. Last precedes this, and next follows this.
5. Discourse Deixis
Speaker or writes usually relate between ideas. To help the hearers or
readers understand the relationship, speakers or writers refer to the previous or
subsequent ideas. In referring to the previous ideas, they invite the hearers or
readers to look to was has been discussed. In referring to the subsequent ideas,
they ask their hearers or readers to pay attention to what is coming.
There are some linguistic apparatuses which can be used to serve the
purposes, they are that, this, therefore, furthermore, that is used to “point to
past discourse elements” (cruse 2004: 337). For example :
(8) That is wroth considering.
This is used to indicate what a speaker or writer wants to mention. For
example:
(9) Pay attention to this, it will be very important for you.
Therefore, meaning “addition to what has been said “ (longman
1998:1101), and furthermore, meaning, “in addition to what has been
said” (longman 1998 : 423), are used when a speaker or writer wants

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 his/her hearers or readers to trace back his/her ideas in the discourse.
For example :
(10) Mother has taken the medicine for several days, therefore, but she
does not show any improvement of her health. Therefore, I suggest
that mother be hospitalized.
(11) The house is small and located in a dirty neighbourhood,
furthermore, the owner firmly sets a high price.
6. Gestural and Symbolic Deixis
Gestural deixis is like the other kinds of deixis in that they are used to
point to something . but is differs from the others in that it requires hearers
ability to see the body movement, especially that of the hands, of the speaker.
For example :
(12) “put one over there and the other one here” (cruse 2004 : 338).
In (12) above, the hearer sees the speakers pointing with his hands to a
particular point of space. And the communication will break down if
the hearer, for any reason, can not (or does not) see the speaker’s body
movement.

Symbolic deixis, like the others, is used to point to something. It

requires the deictic interpretation which is based on relevant parameters that
are established over relatively long periods of conversation/discourse (cruse
2004 : 338). For example:

(13) “(people at an exhibition) isn’t it interesting? (cruse 2004: 338).

To reach the understanding of what it in (13) really means, one should
be knowledge of the points discussed in the conversation or discourse.
7. Anaphopra
Saeed (2000: 198) points out that “….relationship of indirect reference
is called anaphora”. In discussing anaphora, we use the terms antecedent and
anaphora pronoun. For example :

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 (14) Roni has been sick for there days. He looks pale. In (14) above,
Roni is an antecedent and he is an anaphoric pronoun grammatically,
he refers to Roni. But semantically, he does not refer to Roni, but to an
entity that Roni also refers to, that is, a person named Roni.

References

Cruse, D. A. 2004. Meaning in Language : An introduction to Semantics and

Pragmatics. (Second Edition). Oxford : Oxford University Press.

Quirk, Randolph. 1998. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Elingsh. Essex:

Longman Group Uk Limited.

Saeed, J.L. 1997/2000. Semantics. Oxford: Blackwell.