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On the reference of proper names

On the reference of proper names Abstract Resumé. It is an important fact about proper names that when they are used to refer to extra-linguistic objects, they are not just nouns. They are NPs, that is to say, grammatical constructions. This fact has not been recognized by philosophers and philosophically oriented linguists, who have discussed various methods of identifying referents, one for each proper name. What is needed is rather a set of pragmatic and grammatical rules which can serve to fix the reference for each occurrence of a proper name. Proper names do not have meanings, and they refer simply by the grammatical fact that they are definite NPs, which implies that they have the pragmatic presupposition that there is in the context just one individual phenomenon that may be referred to by means of the name in question. Other characteristics that have been ascribed to proper names are either not essential or simply myths. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Acta Linguistica Hafniensia: International Taylor & Francis

On the reference of proper names

Acta Linguistica Hafniensia: International , Volume 19 (1): 81 – Jan 1, 1985
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On the reference of proper names

Abstract

Abstract Resumé. It is an important fact about proper names that when they are used to refer to extra-linguistic objects, they are not just nouns. They are NPs, that is to say, grammatical constructions. This fact has not been recognized by philosophers and philosophically oriented linguists, who have discussed various methods of identifying referents, one for each proper name. What is needed is rather a set of pragmatic and grammatical rules which can serve to fix the reference for...
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN
1949-0763
eISSN
0374-0463
DOI
10.1080/03740463.1985.10416055
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract Resumé. It is an important fact about proper names that when they are used to refer to extra-linguistic objects, they are not just nouns. They are NPs, that is to say, grammatical constructions. This fact has not been recognized by philosophers and philosophically oriented linguists, who have discussed various methods of identifying referents, one for each proper name. What is needed is rather a set of pragmatic and grammatical rules which can serve to fix the reference for each occurrence of a proper name. Proper names do not have meanings, and they refer simply by the grammatical fact that they are definite NPs, which implies that they have the pragmatic presupposition that there is in the context just one individual phenomenon that may be referred to by means of the name in question. Other characteristics that have been ascribed to proper names are either not essential or simply myths.

Journal

Acta Linguistica Hafniensia: International – Taylor & Francis

Published: Jan 1, 1985

References