Editing Interjection (section)

== Interjections as deictics ==
Interjections are bound by context, meaning that their interpretation is largely dependent on the time and place at which they are uttered. In linguistics, interjections can also be considered a form of [[deixis]].<ref name=":2">Wilkins, D. P. (1992). Interjections as deictics. ''Journal of Pragmatics'', '''18'''(2-3), 119-158.</ref> Although their meaning is fixed (e.g., ''"Wow!"'' = surprised), there is also a referencing element which is tied to the situation. For example, the use of the interjection ''"Wow!"'' necessarily references some relation between the speaker and something that has just caused surprise to the speaker at the moment of the utterance.<ref name=":2" /> Without context, the listener would not know the referent of the expression (viz., the source of the surprise). Similarly, the interjection ''"Ouch!"'' generally expresses pain, but also requires contextual information for the listener to determine the referent of the expression (viz., the cause of the pain).

While we can often see deictic or indexical elements in expressive interjections, examples of reference are perhaps more clearly illustrated in the use of imperative examples. Volitive interjections such as ''"Ahem"'', ''"Psst!"'', and ''"Shh!"'' could be considered imperative, as the speaker is requesting or demanding something from the listener. Similar to the deictic pronoun "you", the referent of these expressions changes, dependent on the context of the utterance.<ref name=":2" />