Abstract
In this paper I will consider a semiotic notion of 'indexicality' from a linguistic anthropological perspective. As a point of departure, I take an overview of the two frameworks of indexes presented by Silverstein (1976) and Ochs (1990), who emphasized the importance of nonreferential values of signs. We then observe how these theories have influenced the ways in which ethnographers and discourse analysts interpret cultures and speech in context. Below I tentatively examine three domains of application in which indexicality and related notions are predominantly active and essential parts of language use: i) text and intertextuality, ii) social interaction, and iii) cognitive styles.
