Verwijzend

Verwijzend is a Dutch term used in linguistics to describe elements that refer to a referent in context. As an adjective, it denotes items whose function is to point to something previously mentioned or present in the discourse or situation. In this sense, verwijzend is closely related to deixis and to demonstratives.

Verwijzende items include woorden and word classes that point to a referent. Common examples are verwijzende voornaamwoorden (demonstrative pronouns) such as dit, dat, deze, die, as well as demonstratieve determiners that accompany nouns. Verwijzende bijwoorden and other deictic expressions like hier (here), daar (there), nu (now) and toen (then) also function verwezend by locating referents in space or time relative to the speaker or hearer.

Example: Ik zag een auto. Dat was snel. Here the word dat verwijst back to the noun phrase auto, functioning as a verwijzend element. Another example: Jan liep naar huis. Die zag er moe uit, where die can function as a verwijzend element referring to Jan.

Verwijzend is distinct from betrekkelijk (relative) pronouns, which connect clauses rather than point to a referent in discourse. However, some words can serve both roles, such as die in de man die ik zag, which can be either demonstrative or relative depending on the construction.

In text and speech, verwijzende elements aid cohesion by creating anaphora (referring back to a previous referent) or cataphora (pointing forward to information yet to come). See also verwijzing, deixis, demonstratief voornaamwoord, anafora, and cataphoresis.