anaforar

Anaforar is a term used in discourse analysis and computational linguistics to describe the system of referential links that connect parts of a text or discourse through referential expressions. It encompasses both anaphora, where a word or phrase refers back to a previously mentioned antecedent, and cataphora, where reference is made forward to a later element. The term is not standardized across the field, and its exact scope can vary by author, but it is typically used as an umbrella notion for coreference phenomena that contribute to coherence and cohesion in discourse.

In descriptive linguistics, anaforar is used to analyze how speakers choose pronouns, definite noun phrases, and indexicals to maintain coherence. In computational linguistics, algorithms labeled as anaforar focus on coreference resolution, linking pronouns and other referring expressions to their antecedents across sentences or larger discourse units, while accounting for ambiguity, world knowledge, and discourse structure. The concept highlights how discourse structure influences reference, including long-distance dependencies and the role of context in interpretation.

Cross-linguistic variation is a common topic within anaforar studies, particularly in languages with rich pronoun systems, pro-drop features, or flexible word order that affect how referential expressions are realized. Researchers also examine how situational context and discourse priorities shape the choice of explicit versus zero reference and how these choices impact readability and listener inference.

See also: Anaphora, Cataphora, Coreference, Discourse coherence, Pronoun resolution.