Deictic

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Deictic \Deic"tic\ (d[imac]k"t[i^]k), a. [Gr. deiktiko`s serving
     to show or point out, fr. deikny`nai to show.]
     1. (Logic) Direct; proving directly; -- applied to reasoning,
        and opposed to {elenchtic} or refutative.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. (Grammar) showing or pointing to directly; pertaining to
        deixis; -- used to designate words that specify identity,
        location, or time from the perspective of one of the
        participants in a discourse, using the surrounding context
        as reference; as, the words this, that, these, those,
        here, there, now, then, we, you, they, the former, and the
        latter serve a deictic function.
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  deictic
       adj : relating to or characteristic of a word whose reference
             depends on the circumstances of its use; "deictic
             pronouns"
       n : a word specifying identity or spacial or temporal location
           from the perspective of a speaker or hearer in the
           context in which the communication occurs; "words that
           introduce particulars of the speaker's and hearer's
           shared cognitive field into the message"- R.Rommetveit
           [syn: {deictic word}]