Refsing

Refsing is a term used in discourse analysis to describe the deliberate selection and ordering of referential expressions within a text or dialogue to manage how referents are carried across sentences. It encompasses the choice between proper names, pronouns, definite descriptions, and other referential cues, with the goal of maintaining coherence, reducing ambiguity, or shifting emphasis. The concept treats referential expression as a signaling device that can influence audience perception by how explicitly a referent is reintroduced or redefined after an intervening clause or scene.

Refsing operates along two main axes: stabilizing refsing, which reinforces a referent's identity to minimize confusion, and reorienting refsing, which changes the referential footing to alter emphasis or point of view. It is particularly salient in long narratives, multilingual texts, and localized translations, where referential cues must be adapted without disrupting cohesion. In computational contexts, refsing can be modeled as a constraint in coreference chains or as a feature in discourse-aware natural language generation.

Examples of refsing include: a narrative that begins with "the scientist" and later reintroduces "Dr. Patel" to refresh the reference after several scenes; and a translation that substitutes "the president" with "the White House" to suit cultural expectations while preserving the intended referent. In analysis, refsing helps explain why readers experience continuity or perceive shifts in perspective even when the textual surface remains similar.

Refsing is related to core concepts such as reference, anaphora, and discourse cohesion. It is distinct from but often intertwined with stylistic devices like repetition and dodging pronouns. As a research idea, refsing invites examination of how referential strategy shapes interpretation across media, genres, and languages.