Deixis: A Pragmatic Perspective

Abstract

It can be said that the relationship between language and context is best manifested through the concept of deixis. It refers to a set of expressions whose interpretation depends on the context in which they appear. The current study tries to present a thorough review of the topic in question from a pragmatic perspective,  enhancing its different categories, functions, and shedding some light on its relation to the phenomenon of  indexicality.  Deixis  has not been given its due attention. Thus, this study attempts to bridge this gap in the literature through answering the following questions: What are the categories of deixis? What is the role of context in interpreting deixis?  And what is the relation between deixis and indexicality?