Deixis and demonstratives
in Oceanic languages
Gunter Senft, editor
PL 562
When we communicate, we communicate
in a certain context, and this context shapes our utterances.
Natural languages are context-bound and deixis 'concerns the
ways in which languages encode or grammaticalise features
of the context of utterance or speech event, and thus also
concerns ways in which the interpretation of utterances depends
on the analysis of that context of utterance' (Stephen Levinson).
The systems of deixis and demonstratives in the Oceanic languages
represented in the contributions to this volume illustrate
the fascinating complexity of spatial reference in these languages.
Some of the studies presented here highlight social aspects
of deictic reference illustrating de Leon's point that 'reference
is a collaborative task' . It is hoped that this anthology
will contribute to a better understanding of this area and
provoke further studies in this extremely interesting, though
still rather underdeveloped, research area.
2004
ISBN 0 85883 551 7
vii + 204 pp
Prices: Australia AUD$59.40
(incl. GST) Overseas AUD$54.00
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