Person Reference in Interaction Linguistic, Cultural and Social Perspectives

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.

In this 2007 book, a team of linguists, sociologists and anthropologists examine how we refer to other people in everyday conversation. Illustrated with authentic data from nine languages from the Americas to Asia to the South Pacific, it will be welcomed by researchers and graduate students interested in the relationship between language and culture.