This article discusses some apparently paradoxical behavior of the English demonstratives "this/these" and "that/those" as determiners of proper nouns and as metaphorical signals of epistemic and affective stance within the proximal-distal opposition. It is argued that the apparent paradoxes are actually cases of shifting perspectives or points of…

Examines the indirect strategies applied in the relationship between power and language, with particular reference to Eastern (Asian) verbal context. Argues that indirectness is both a form of politeness where a speaker avoids expressing himself explicitly and a style of formulating speech acts, which has an inherent pragmatic role. (32…