title: Demonstrative
aliases: [demonstrative, demonstratives]
tags: [term]
category: Concepts
summary: A pointing word like "this," "that," or "these."

Demonstrative

A demonstrative is a pointing word like this, that, these, those.

In OVP demonstratives, as everywhere, the key distinction is near vs. far rather than gender: ihi ("this," nearby), mahu / uhu ("this/that one," nearby vs. far), and the plural ihiŵa ("these"). They double as pronouns, standing in for a noun you can point to.

See also Pronoun, and Pronouns.