No abstract

No abstract

This article analyzes the use of several response particles in face-to-face interaction in Wa’ikhana, an East Tukano language of northwestern Amazonia. Adopting a Conversation Analysis approach, we explore details of each particle, considering their prosodic shapes, the action contexts in which they occur, and their sequential positioning, all crucial to understanding their meanings in interaction. Our analysis shows that Wa’ikhana response particles exhibit both universal and language-particular properties, thus demonstrating the contributions of data from lesser-studied languages to research on language in social interaction, and the value of an interactional approach in the study of under-described, and often endangered, indigenous languages.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------ANALISANDO PARTÍCULAS EM WA’IKHANAEste artigo analisa o uso de um conjunto de partículas responsivas em interação cotidiana em Wa’ikhana, língua da família Tukano Oriental, falada no noroeste amazônico. Adotando a abordagem da Análise de Conversação, exploramos detalhes de cada partícula, considerando sua forma prosódica, o contexto de ação em que ocorre e sua posição sequencial, todos cruciais para o entendimento do seu significado em interação. Nossa análise mostra que partículas responsivas em Wa’ikhana exibem propriedades universais e próprias, demonstrando a contribuição de dados provindos de línguas pouco conhecidas à pesquisa sobre linguagem e interação social, bem como o valor da abordagem interacional no estudo de línguas indígenas pouco estudadas e muitas vezes ameaçadas.---Original em inglês.

Deixis refers primarily to the phenomenon of context dependence in the meaning of certain referring expressions, such as I, this, here, and now , labeled variably as “deictics” and “indexicals.” But deixis is broader than its linguistic expression in inherently deictic forms, as reflected in the deictic use of otherwise non‐deictic forms and the crucial role of nonverbal resources (pointing, eye‐gaze) in interpreting deictic reference. Deixis has been considered a subtype of indexicality, or the more general property of context dependence in human action. Deixis is pervasive, especially in face‐to‐face interaction, in which it contrasts with non‐deictic ways of referring. The defining features of deixis are the lack of specific semantic content and its role in establishing joint attention. There exists significant variation in the cross‐linguistic expression of deictic categories, such as person, place, and time, that is still not well documented. The uses of deictic forms are highly variable, engendering extensive debate on the basis of deictic meaning. Despite the intriguing properties and importance for theories of language, deixis remains understudied from both linguistic and anthropological perspectives.

No abstract