Deictic space in Wolof: discourse, syntax and the importance of absence

The role of deictic reference in Wolof is particularly interesting for two reasons. First, it permeates the entire system of the language (in noun determination, predication and subordination). Second, this language has a suffix which indicates the absence of localization in the space of the speaker - which plays a special role in the construction of various relationships of syntactic dependency. Thus, in Wolof reference depends on a dual mechanism of spatial anchoring: (1) in order to become definite, an object must necessarily be situated in the speaker's space (physically near or far); (2) if the object is indicated as not being localized in the speaker's space, it necessarily depends syntactically on another constituant indicating the situation in which it is validated. We propose to describe the various uses of these spatial suffixes as well as the specifically linguistic mechanisms that they bring to light, such as the links between deictic anchoring, predication and syntactical dependency, and more generally the central role played by the speech situation.