English
deixis
Deixis comes from Ancient Greek δεῖξις ‘pointing, indicating, reference’, from δείκνυμι ‘I show’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deyḱ-‘to show, point out’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*deiknéumireconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδείκνυμιdeíknumi‘I show’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδεῖξιςdeîxis‘pointing, indicating, reference’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006deixis
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*deyḱ-‘to show, point out’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*deiknéumireconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδείκνυμιdeíknumi‘I show’
- Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδεῖξιςdeîxis‘pointing, indicating, reference’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006deixis
Earliest quotation: 2006, Stephen C. Levinson, Dexis: “For those who treat language as a generative system…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- ‘to show, point out’
teach, indicate, index, predict, toe, indication, dictionary, indicator, token, digit, addict, dictator, dictate, indicative, syndicate, contradictory, contradiction, ditto, contradict, predicate, diction, ditty, dictum, interdict, dict, syndicalism, tache, indicia, 41 more
through Proto-Hellenic *deiknéumi
through Ancient Greek δείκνυμι ‘I show’
Today it means
noun The use of a word, such as a particle or pronoun, to refer to something that must be identified from the immediate physical, temporal, or grammatical context; a word used in such a way.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- / deixis