Deixis in Ezha

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Date

2012-10

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Addis Ababa University

Abstract

Based on the cross-linguistic typological observations in Himmelmann (1996) and Diessel (1999), this study is concerned with the form and use of deictic expressions in Ezha, an Ethiosemitic Gurage language. Ezha uses various deictic elements in communication. Spatial deixis is expressed by the proximal demonstrative zɨ ‘this’ and the distal demonstrative za ‘that’. Derivations from these spatial deictic elements can refer to the topography, direction and position of the referent, or indicate discourse deixis. Temporal deixis is expressed by different lexical items and by specific aspect/tense/mood forms of the verb. Ezha has, furthermore, a demonstrative for manner deixis, zɨkka ‘like this’. The presentative deictic expression jəxu ‘Here it is (2MS)!’ and other inflectional forms accompany the speaker’s activity to present something to the addressee. Person deixis is expressed by independent personal pronouns and/or dependent agreement markers on verbs. These pronouns and agreement markers distinguish between the speaker, the addressee and the other entity (neither speaker nor hearer) as referent, and also between male and female gender, and singular and plural number in the second and third person. Ezha also employs pronouns and agreement markers to express social deixis which refers to the status of or relationship between the interlocutors. Kinship terms are also included under social deixis in this study.

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Ezha

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