Multireferenzielle

Multireferenzielle is a term used in linguistics and information sciences to describe phenomena in which an expression, unit, or data structure denotes more than one referent. In semantics, multireferential reference occurs when a pronoun, noun phrase, or indexical covers a set of entities rather than a single individual, requiring context, discourse structure, or world knowledge to identify the intended reference. Readings can be collective, distributive, or dual, depending on how the referent set is partitioned.

In natural language, languages vary in encoding multireferentiality. Some languages employ number agreement, agreement with collective nouns, or pronouns that can flex to refer to multiple antecedents. In coreference resolution, identifying multireferential antecedents is a central challenge, requiring models to maintain and manipulate sets of potential referents.

In information systems, multireferentiality describes links where a single object is related to several others, as in knowledge graphs, bibliographies, or metadata schemas. This is common for authors with multiple affiliations, works cited by several sources, or users belonging to multiple groups. Modeling strategies include representing referent sets, using multi-valued attributes, or employing graph structures that support n-ary relationships.

Challenges include ambiguity, cross-linguistic variation, and dynamic discourse where reference sets evolve. The term is not universally standardized across fields, and its usage can reflect German-language literature or bilingual technical contexts. See also coreference, deixis, polysemy, and multi-valued logic.