Abstract
Language use and space are connected in intricate and multiple ways, and therefore pragmatics must account for the numerous dimensions of the spatial parameters of communicative interactions. At the same time, space needs to be seen not as a pre-existing, physical entity, but as something that is being done in the process of using language. This introductory chapter discusses these basic aspects, which permeate all the contributions of this volume, and it introduces three interfaces of language and space: space within language, language use within space, and language(s) in space. The pragmatics of space cannot be reduced to one of these perspectives, but they serve as useful heuristics to structure the contributions of this volume. The chapter also discusses a range of different conceptualizations of space that are relevant for pragmatics, and it proposes some perspectives for future research in the pragmatics of space.