Person Reference in Interaction
Linguistic, Cultural and Social Perspectives

This book examines how we refer to other people in everyday conversation, across different languages and cultures.

N. J. Enfield (Edited by), Tanya Stivers (Edited by)

9780521872454, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 26 April 2007

370 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.71 kg

How do we refer to people in everyday conversation? No matter the language or culture, we must choose from a range of options: full name ('Robert Smith'), reduced name ('Bob'), description ('tall guy'), kin term ('my son') etc. Our choices reflect how we know that person in context, and allow us to take a particular perspective on them. This book brings together a team of leading linguists, sociologists and anthropologists to show that there is more to person reference than meets the eye. Drawing on video-recorded, everyday interactions in nine languages, it examines the fascinating ways in which we exploit person reference for social and cultural purposes, and reveals the underlying principles of person reference across cultures from the Americas to Asia to the South Pacific. Combining rich ethnographic detail with cross-linguistic generalizations, it will be welcomed by researchers and graduate students interested in the relationship between language and culture.

1. Person reference in interaction Tanya Stivers, N. J. Enfield and Stephen C. Levinson
Part I. Person Reference as a System: 2. Two preferences in the organization of reference to persons in conversation and their interaction (1979) Harvey Sacks and Emanuel A. Schegloff
3. Optimizing person reference - evidence from repair on Rossel Island Stephen C. Levinson
4. Alternative recognitionals in person reference Tanya Stivers
5. Meanings of the unmarked: why 'default' person reference does more than just refer N. J. Enfield
Part II. The Person Reference System in Operation: 6. Conveying who you are: the presentation of self, strictly speaking Emanuel A. Schegloff
7. Person reference in Yucatec Maya William F. Hanks
8. Principles of person reference in Tzeltal Penelope Brown
9. Non-initial person reference in Korean: choosing between quasi-pronouns Sun-Young Oh
10. Person reference in Tzotzil gossip: referring dupliciter John B. Haviland
Part III. The Person Reference System in Trouble: 11. Intersubjectivity and progressivity in person (and place) reference John Heritage
12. Repairing person reference in a small Caribbean community Jack Sidnell
13. Reference and 'reference dangereuse' to persons in Kilivila: an overview and case study Gunter Senft.

Subject Areas: Psycholinguistics [CFD], Sociolinguistics [CFB], Linguistics [CF]