Namesuch

Namesuch is a term used in linguistics and philosophy of language to denote a category of naming where a proper name simultaneously encodes descriptive information about its bearer. In this sense, a namesuch name both identifies an individual or entity and conveys a characteristic that is associated with that bearer. The notion is primarily analytic, used to discuss how names interact with description and reference.

Origins and usage: The word namesuch appears in academic discussions as a coined label to explore referential semantics and epithet-like naming. It is distinct from ordinary proper names in that it foregrounds the descriptive content embedded in or implied by the name, rather than relying solely on referential indexicality. The term is chiefly of theoretical interest and is not widely used in everyday discourse.

In practice, analysis of namesuch involves examining contexts in which the name seems to carry presupposed properties, how these properties affect audience inference, and how failure of the assumed properties affects reference. Examples are often constructed to illustrate how a name can function as both label and attribute, highlighting issues of descriptive faithfulness, ambiguity, and cross-linguistic variation.

See also: proper name, descriptive epithet, referential transparency, indexicality, onomastics.