A Pragmatic Analysis of Deixis in Surat Al-Duha (Published)
This research examines the analysis of deictic expressions in Sūrat Aḍ-Ḍuḥā, according to the five types of deixis: personal, spatial, temporal, social, and discourse deixis. It aims to uncover how these linguistic devices are employed in constructing contextual meaning and in linking the Qur’anic text to its discoursal and communicative reality. The study depends on a descriptive-analytical approach, with a special focus on the dialectical relationship between the apparent meaning of the verses and their internal and external contexts. The findings of the study demonstrate that personal deixis is the most frequent type, expressing a deep and supportive relationship between the speaker (God) and the addressee (Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him), by the repetition of the second-person suffix pronoun -ka. The results also reveal that temporal deixis moves metaphorically across three dimensions: the past (indicating the Prophet’s social identity), the present (expressing reassurance and divine care), and the future (conveying divine promise). While spatial deixis limited in occurrence, is nonetheless expressed through contextual references and verbs. Discourse deixis plays a cohesive role by linking the elements of the sūrah into an integrated whole, while social deixis reflects dimensions of reverence, dynamism, and intimacy within the divine discourse. Finally, the study elaborates that to understand deixis in the Qur’anic text requires to understand the context, that takes into account both linguistic and situational contexts, as this deepens interpretation and reveals aspects of rhetorical inimitability.
Keywords: Deixis, Surat AlDuha, dicousre deixis, person deixis, social deixis., spatial deixis, temporal deixis
The Use of Person Deixis as Shifts in Authority in Academic Writing: The Case of Students’ Acknowledgements in the Department of English Language and Literature, University of Maroua (Published)
This paper examines person deixis as shifts of authority in academic writing with focus on students’ acknowledgements in the Department of English Language and Literature, University of Maroua. It also looks at the role it plays in academic writing. This work stems from the fact that indexical expression of person plays an important role in the dissemination of information. It extends and gives further explanation where nonverbal communication is limited; thus becomes more effective. This work is of great value in language use in the sense that it shows how students use person deixis as shifts in authority in academic writing in their acknowledgements to show that they are the authors of these projects. This research uses a qualitative research design. This is because the researcher culled some messages from the acknowledgements of students of the Department of English Language and Literature from 2021-2023 academic year. Insight was drawn from Levinson’s (1983) theory of deixis. The findings indicated that one type of indexical expression; person was used for these reasons. First, to demonstrate that they are the authors of their dissertations. Second, to show gratitude to those who helped them in any way to complete their school projects.
Keywords: Academic Writing, Students, acknowledgements, department of English language and Literature, person deixis, shifts in authority