Henrik Bergqvist (FLoV), presents current research in the research area Linguistic structures. All interested are welcome!
Deictic expressions and categories constitute methodological and analytical challenges for field workers and descriptive linguists, despite their pervasive use and apparent simplicity in terms of proximity and distance. This talk will problematize the conceptualisation of deixis in language and offer methodological and analytical tools for its further exploration. Data comes from Kogi, a Chibchan language spoken in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta region of Northern Colombia. Collaborative research on Kogi, has resulted in a description of deixis in the language, which may account for both well-known demonstrative forms, as well as more exotic categories, such as 'engagement'.