The abstract usages of the adverbs ovde (here) and tu (tamo)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to account for the abstract usages of the pronoun adverbs ovde (here) and tu (there) in Serbian. We start with the analysis of their basic spatial meanings which show that ovde is a true deictic expression that, if it is accopanied with the act of showing, can obtain the value of a demonstrative. On the contrary, tu behavies as a noun phrase with the definite article. Its spatial meaning is easily transformed into the asbtract one. We also show that the temporal usage of ovde is not completely temporal because it denotes the space captured in one relevant moment.