Demonstratives in Silt’e

Abstract

This article intended to describe the system of demonstratives in Silt’e.
According to their distribution, forms and functions, demonstratives in
Silt’e categorize in to pronominal, adverbial and manner. Pronominal
demonstratives have two forms: free and complex. The free and complex
forms have two distinctions: proximal and distal. The free demonstrative
pronouns have neutral and focused form. The complex demonstrative
pronouns occur with preposition lə-, tə-and bə-, which indicate a dative,
ablative or comitative and instrumental or locative case of demonstrative
pronouns respectively. Adverbial demonstratives are formed by affixing
morphemes to basic demonstratives. Manner demonstratives are discourse
deictic, they formed by a combination of basic demonstrative pronoun and
simulative morpheme –ku, ‘like.’