The System of the demonstrative pronouns provided in the grammar of Modern Lithuanian : analysis of traditions

ENThe aim of this paper is to discuss the system of the demonstrative pronouns provided in the “Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos gramatika” (A grammar of Modern Lithuanian) (Ambrazas 2006): to comment on it from the perspective of pragmatics and to compare it to the system of demonstrative pronouns used in spoken Lithuanian. The object of the current research is the demonstrative pronouns tas (M), ta (F) ‘this/that’, šis (M), ši (F) ‘this’, šitas (M), šita (F) ‘this’, anas (M), ana (F) ‘that’ (semantics and pragmatics). The paper focuses on dealing with several issues: 1) examples with the demonstrative pronouns in “Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos gramatika” from the perspective of pragmatic uses; 2) understanding of the term ‘three-way contrast’ in general and the one that is represented in “Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos gramatika”; 3) the meaning of the demonstrative pronoun tas ‘that’ in the exophoric use. The paper consists of several parts. First, a brief overview of the system of the demonstrative pronouns in “Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos gramatika” is given. Next, the theoretical background is presented and some issues of the system in “Dabartinės lietuvių kalbos gramatika” are revealed. Finally, the system in spoken Lithuanian is discussed and conclusions are drawn. [From the publication]