Part of
Reference: From conventions to pragmaticsEdited by Laure Gardelle, Laurence Vincent-Durroux and Hélène Vinckel-Roisin
[Studies in Language Companion Series 228] 2023
► pp. 185–210
This chapter explores some ways in which referring to the self and the addressee – or interlocutor reference – by means of pronouns, kin terms or other nouns, accomplishes more than simple referring. Focusing on interlocutor reference in argumentative contexts, the study proposes that referring overtly, i.e., by means of referring forms rather than null expressions, appears to be an emerging convention in Indonesian political argumentation. Data from political interviews are analysed to show how participants employ overt reference to claim knowledge about the states of affairs or the addressee’s cognitive state, position themselves as the party responsible for claims and assertions, and solicit an aligning response from the addressee.