A cross-linguistic exploration of demonstratives in interaction

Abstract

This study undertakes a cross-linguistic examination of several distinct usage types of demonstratives as “filler words” in the context where speakers encounter trouble in formulating a word during spontaneous speech production. The study documents the range of forms and functions of these demonstratives across diverse languages, and explores theoretical issues that arise from the empirical observation, including the question of why demonstratives, among all linguistic items, are utilized as a tool to deal with word-formulation trouble. By investigating the hitherto neglected usages of demonstratives in social interaction, our study contributes both to typological studies of demonstratives and to interactional studies of grammatical phenomena.