Hänförelse

Hänförelse is a term used in Swedish linguistics to describe the referential connection established when a person introduced earlier in discourse is subsequently referred to by the gender-neutral pronoun hän. The phenomenon sits within the broader study of anaphora and discourse cohesion, focusing on how pronouns function as anchors that maintain identity across clauses and sentences.

In practice, hänförelse concerns how a referent remains accessible to the listener or reader as the text unfolds. The gender-neutral pronoun hän can serve as a compact stand-in for a previously mentioned entity, reducing repetition and contributing to textual flow. However, the choice of pronouns and the strength of the referential link may vary with context, syntax, and formality, and ambiguity can arise if multiple potential antecedents exist or if the antecedent is not clearly established.

The term is mainly used in linguistic analyses of Swedish discourse and pronoun usage, particularly in discussions about gender-inclusive language and pronoun rapidly becoming a standard referential tool. Some researchers treat hänförelse as a specific instance of anaphoric reference, while others discuss it as part of broader pronoun-based cohesion strategies in Swedish. The concept helps explain how readers and listeners track who or what is being discussed when a pronoun replaces a noun phrase, and it underscores the role of pronoun choice in shaping clarity and interpretability in communication.