Definition
Empathetic deixis is the metaphorical use of deictic forms to indicate emotional or other psychological “distance” or “proximity” between a speaker and a referent.
Examples
(English)
- The use of this to indicate the speaker’s empathy
- The use of that to indicate the speaker’s emotional distance
Sources 2
- Levinson 1983, 81
- Lyons 1977b, 677