Namedepending

Namedepending is a term used in discussions of formal languages, type theory, and linguistics to describe a property whereby the interpretation or behavior of a construct depends on the specific name or identifier assigned to it, rather than solely on its structural form or value. In this sense, name-dependent phenomena contrast with value-dependent or structure-dependent ones.

In programming languages and formal semantics, namedepending can refer to systems that incorporate nominal information into type or term semantics. For example, in languages with nominal typing or with name-dependent types, a function’s type or a macro’s expansion may vary according to the literal name used to bind a variable or symbol. This differs from alpha-equivalence, where renaming bound variables should not change meaning; here, renaming can alter meaning because the name carries semantic weight.

Name-dependence is also relevant to macro systems and hygienic macros, where identifiers introduced during expansion may capture or clash with existing names, making the expanded code depend on the surrounding naming context. In logic and formal semantics, name-dependence may appear in frameworks where symbols act as parameters influencing interpretation, such as in nominal logic or in certain name-binding semantics.

Usage of the term is not standardized, and authors may use it informally to describe phenomena where naming introduces differences. When encountered, it is important to specify the exact formal context and the role of identifiers in that system.