definiterefer

Definiterefer is a term used in linguistics to denote the process or mechanism by which a referent is established as definite within discourse. It describes how speakers or writers mark or infer that a given entity is uniquely identifiable in the current context, as opposed to being indefinite or new to the discourse. The term combines “definite” and “referent” and is not part of a formal standard; it appears in some theoretical discussions and in computational linguistics literature as a shorthand for definiteness marking.

Usage and scope: Definiterefer encompasses strategies such as definite articles (the), demonstratives (this, that), possessives (my, your), and certain pronouns and discourse cues that link a referent to the shared context. It relates to the broader notion of how information is anchored in the discourse model and how reference is retrieved or established during interpretation and generation.

Implications: In semantics and pragmatics, definiterefer helps explain how speakers convey that an entity is already known or uniquely identifiable, aiding coherence and brevity. In natural language generation, ensuring a definite referent is a key step in producing referents that fit the listener’s or reader’s knowledge state.

Examples: English uses the definite article to mark a definite referent: “The dog barked.” Demonstratives like “this” or “that” also signal definiteness relative to the speaker’s perspective. Indefinite forms, by contrast, signal non-uniqueness or novelty.

See also: Definite article, Anaphora, Demonstratives, Discourse deixis, Reference (linguistics).