deictic

American  

[dahyk-tik] / ˈdaɪk tɪk /

adjective

1. Logic. proving directly.

2. Grammar. specifying identity or spatial or temporal location from the perspective of one or more of the participants in an act of speech or writing, in the context of either an external situation or the surrounding discourse, as we, you, here, there, now, then, this, that, the former, or the latter.

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noun

1. Grammar. a deictic element.

deictic British  

/ ˈdaɪktɪk /

adjective

1. logic proving by direct argument Compare elenctic

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noun

1. another word for indexical

Other Word Forms

• deictically adverb

Etymology

Origin of deictic

1820–30; < Greek deiktikós demonstrative, equivalent to deikt ( ós ) able to be proved, verbal adjective of deiknýnai to show, prove, point + -ikos -ic