Démonstratifs

Démonstratifs, in the context of linguistics, refers to demonstrative determiners or demonstrative pronouns. These are words that are used to point out or specify particular people, objects, or concepts. The most common demonstratives in English are "this," "that," "these," and "those." Their function is to indicate something that is either near or far from the speaker, both in physical space and in time, or to refer back to something previously mentioned in a discourse.

Demonstratives function as determiners when they precede a noun, such as in "this book" or "those cars." In this role, they modify the noun and specify which particular item or items are being referred to. They can also function as pronouns, standing alone in place of a noun phrase. Examples include "This is my favorite song" or "I like those." In these instances, the demonstrative implicitly refers to a noun that is understood from the context.

The choice between singular forms ("this," "that") and plural forms ("these," "those") depends on whether the noun being referred to is singular or plural. The distinction between "this/these" and "that/those" typically relates to proximity. "This" and "these" generally refer to things closer to the speaker, while "that" and "those" refer to things further away. This distinction can also be used metaphorically to distinguish between current and past events or ideas, or between the speaker's group and another group.