the case that we use the meanings of the words.
-> the environment in which the communication/ulterance takes place
The context in which they occur, and some pre-existing knowledge of what would be a likely message as we work toward a
reasonable interpretation of what the producer of the sign intended it to convey.
physical context:
the situation, time or place in which words are used.
objects surrounding the communication, place and time of the the communication, what is going on around.
Ex:
Be here at 9:00 tonight.
linguistic context:
the set of other words used in the same phrase or sentence, also called co-text.
what has been said before in the conversation.
Ex:
Linda came home late yesterday. She thought nobody would notice .
deixis (deictic expressions):
using words such as this or here as a way of “pointing” with language.
Ex:
I wish you'd been here yesterday.
'I,' 'you', 'here', and 'yesterday' all function as deixis - they reference a speaker and an addressee, a location and a time.