indexicalswords

Indexicalswords is a term sometimes used informally to refer to a class of words whose reference changes with the context of utterance. The standard term is indexicals, also called deictics. These words encode information about the speaker, time, or place relative to the moment and setting of the utterance, and their reference cannot be fixed without context.

Common members include pronouns (I, you, he), demonstratives (this, that), temporal adverbs (now, then), spatial adverbs (here, there), and possessive determiners (my, your). Some languages mark indexicals differently, but the underlying principle remains: reference depends on who is speaking, when, and where the utterance occurs.

In formal semantics, indexicals are treated as context-dependent expressions. Kaplan’s framework distinguishes the character of an expression from its content, with the content varying by context. For example, "I" designates the speaker of the utterance, "now" designates the time of utterance, and "here" designates the location of utterance. This allows a single sentence to express different contents across situations.

Embedded contexts illustrate how indexicals shift with perspective. In "John said he would come," the reference of "he" can align with John or another individual depending on the discourse and context of reporting. Some indexicals remain tied to the original speaker (deictic anchoring), while others can be influenced by the vantage point of a reported statement (anaphoric resolution).

Indexicals are central to discussions in linguistics, philosophy of language, and natural language processing. They illuminate how language connects with context and how meaning is constructed beyond fixed truth-conditions. See also deixis, pragmatics, and Kaplan’s theory of character.