Suunavuses

Suunavuses is a hypothetical term used in linguistics to describe the orientation of discourse attention during interaction. It refers to how speakers direct attention toward particular referents, topics, or participants within utterances, thereby guiding listeners’ interpretation and processing. The concept is often discussed in relation to deixis, topic management, and referential cohesion, and it is used to analyze how movement of attention shapes communicative efficiency.

Etymology: The term is formed from Estonian roots suuna- meaning direction or aim and the abstract-noun suffix -vus; suunavuses is analyzed as an inessive form meaning “in orientation” or “within the orientation.”

Theoretical usage: In discourse analysis, suunavuses is used to describe the prevailing direction of attention across a stretch of talk, such as repeated reference to one entity, the choice of demonstratives, or the sequence of topic introductions. A strong suunavuses toward a referent correlates with easier listener uptake and a more cohesive narrative.

Measurement and study: Researchers analyze transcripts and video data to identify cues indicating suunavuses, including pronoun distribution, repetition, focal demonstratives, gaze direction, and gesture alignment with speech. Experimental studies may manipulate referential focus to observe changes in comprehension or memory.

Examples: In a meeting, sustained suunavuses toward a project team can keep listeners oriented to that project, even as other topics are discussed. A sudden shift in suunavuses to a new referent may signal topic change.

See also: deixis, discourse analysis, topic management.