Datapoint Santome/Distance contrasts in demonstratives

The widely used deictic or demonstrative se is not a marker for proximity/distance and can be translated as 'the, this, that'. This item is especially productive in discourse sequences. Santome also has an additional adnominal demonstrative, xi, used for referents which are out of sight. The nominal counterpart of xi is ixi.

Values

Two-way contrast

Example 35-77:
floli se ku sa ai
floli
flower
se
dem
ku
rel
sa
be
ai
here
this flower

Source: Ferraz 1979: 74

Example 35-78:
floli se ku sa ala
floli
flower
se
dem
ku
rel
sa
be
ala
there
that flower

Source: Ferraz 1979: 74

Example 35-79:
ke sai
ke
house
sai
here
this house (here)
Example 35-80:
ke sala
ke
house
sala
there
that house (there)
Confidence:
Very certain