(1) Tim is asking John when he is going to America.
John: Hello, Tim.
Tim: Hey, John. I heard that you will go to America, is it right?
John: Yeah, with my parents.
Tim: when do you go there?
John: This year, we will go to the United States.
As long as people know that the above conversation just happens in 2007, and then they will realize this year in conversation just refers to 2007, no matter what it is in May or in September.
5 The functions of deixis in conversation
In our daily communication, the deictic phenomenon is quite common. Sometimes, it seems to have been a fashion around us. Many people only know that using deixis can bring the convenience to them in their conversation, but they do not know the exact functions of deixis which they often use in communication. Actually, except for convenience, deixis has other important functions. If people can master these, their conversation can get the unexpected effect.
5. 1 The emphasis of deixis in conversation
In most cases, deixis is used to refer to what the speakers said just now. But sometimes, the speakers intend to express their intention through stressing the tone of deixis used in their conversation. For example:
(1) The situation is in a poor family. A man wants to get the precious picture from another man whose company is bankrupted.
A: Why do you come here? (Stressing the tone of “here”)
B: I just want to see whether you are right after bankruptcy.
A: Maybe, the sun rises from the west.
B: Oh, do not say so. You suffer this, and I am also very sad. If you are willing to give me that picture, I can pay for it so much money that you can live well in your rest life. What do you think? (Stressing the tone of “this”)
A: Put away your crocodile tears.
B: Ok, you will regret for what you have said to me.
In this example, the two speakers respectively use the stressed tone of “here” and “this” to show their attitudes. The speaker A stresses the tone of “here” for that he knows the intention of the speaker B’s coming. Because the speaker A has suffered bankruptcy, and his life becomes bad. Seeing the speaker A’s dreadful situation, the speaker B wants to sneer at him, on the other hand, he also wants to take advantage of the speaker A’s misfortune to do him harm. So, in the conversation, he asks the speaker A to give the picture to him. Of course, there is another case in our daily communication. For example;
(2) The situation is in a shop. A mother carries his son to buy toll.
A: Mum, look, there are many beautiful tolls. Can you buy one to me?
B: Ok, which one do you like?
A: I like the tiger, yellow tiger.
At this moment, the mother goes there and has a look at the price of the toll. It is very expensive. She cannot afford it.
B: Tom, it is not good. I think that is better, do you think so?
Here, the mother emphasizes “that” to eliminate her son’s idea, not directly telling her son that she cannot afford the tiger. This case is often seen between adults and children.
5. 2 The divergence of deixis in conversation
Although deixis can refer to things and persons, yet, if it is not used properly, the confusion will appear. And the ambiguous meaning will make the conversation better or worse. How to get the effect that participants want? This should depend on the actual situation. For example:
(1) The conversation happens in the park between a boy and a girl. The boy is a poor man. That day the girl who doesn’t like him happens to see him in the park. At that time, the boy just stands near to an expensive car.
A: Oh, is that yours?
The boy mistakenly regards “that” as his bike.
B: Yes.
A: Oh, my god! You have not told me you have this.
B: No, I do not hide my anything to you. I have this for a long time. Don’t you know that?
A: Oh, maybe I forget that. Eh, are you Ok during this time? But I am not well. Since I refuse your love, I am regret. My darling, if I encourage begging your love, do you want to do so?
B: Is it in my dream?
A: No, it is true.
Here, the demonstrative pronoun “that” and “this” help the boy win the girl’s heart. Why? Because, the ambiguous meanings of the two words let the girl mistakenly thinks that the car is the boy’s, and the boy also mistakenly deems that the thing referred by the girl is his bike. Without the help of the deictic ambiguousness, the girl will not show her love to the boy. This example is just one of the cases in our daily life. Of course, if deixis in conversation is mistakenly comprehended, the result will be opposite of the one mentioned above.
5. 3The emotional color of deixis in conversation
As to emotional color of deixis in conversation, it is often seen in social deixis. In social deixis, there is a kind of absolute words. Some speakers have their absolute deictic forms. This kind of utterance is called authorized speakers. In many languages, there are authorized recipients for authorized speakers, such as “You honor” to the address of the judge, “Mr President” to the president, “Your Excellency” or “His/Her Excellency” to ambassador and governor. All of these show the speakers’ respect to the persons mentioned in the conversation. While in our daily life, friends and families like using other deictic forms to express their emotional colors. For example:
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