On the 'polyfunctionality' of deictic expressions - From meaning to use, as exemplified of the Italian language

In the canonical case, deictic terms depend on the here-and-now of the speech situation. But as was already noted by Karl Buhler in 1934, many deviations from this basic scenario are possible, thus giving rise to a wide spectrum of varying functional usages. This article examines the possible usages of the Italian deictic terms io, tu, noi, voi, quello and questo. Based on an analytical framework proposed by Geoffrey Nunberg, it shows that in each case, the range of functions can be characterised by the variation of a few underlying parameters.