Ikkedeiktiske

The term ikkedeiktiske, originating from Ancient Greek, refers to something that is not demonstrative or indicative. In linguistics and philosophy, it describes a word or expression that does not point to a specific object, person, or place in the way that demonstratives like "this," "that," "here," or "there" do. Ikkedeiktiske elements do not function as deictics, which are language elements whose meaning is dependent on the context of the utterance, particularly the speaker's location and time.

An ikkedeiktiske expression, therefore, has a meaning that is independent of the immediate circumstances of its use. It does not rely on the speaker's gestural or spatial orientation to convey its reference. For example, proper nouns like "Socrates" or common nouns like "dog" are generally considered ikkedeiktiske because their meaning is established by convention and not by pointing to a particular instance in the here and now. Abstract concepts or general statements also fall into this category as they do not refer to specific, context-dependent entities.

The distinction between deiktic and ikkedeiktiske elements is crucial for understanding how language refers to the world. While deictics anchor meaning to the shared physical and temporal environment of speaker and listener, ikkedeiktiske expressions draw their meaning from semantic knowledge and conceptual understanding, making them universally interpretable regardless of the specific communicative situation. This helps to delineate between language that directly engages with the immediate reality and language that operates at a more abstract or conventional level.