referentiegeluiden

Referentiegeluiden is a Dutch term used in linguistics and semiotics to describe signals that indicate or identify the referent of a word, phrase, or symbol. In this sense, referentiegeluiden are cues that help a listener determine what entity is being referred to in a given context.

The concept encompasses a range of cues, including visual, auditory, and contextual elements. Visual cues include gestures, pointing, gaze direction, and the placement of objects within a scene. Auditory cues cover prosody, intonation, stress patterns, and other voice cues that reinforce which referent is intended. Contextual information, such as the surrounding discourse or shared knowledge, also functions as a referentieuige (referent-related) signal. In sign languages, referentiegeluiden can be integrated into the sign system itself, while in spoken languages they commonly accompany verbal utterances.

Usage and interpretation of referentiegeluiden vary across contexts. In child language acquisition, these signals facilitate mapping words to their referents. In dialogue systems and human–computer interaction, deliberate referentiegeluiden can improve referent disambiguation. In sign languages and multimodal communication, the combination of gesture, gaze, and articulation forms a robust set of referent signals.

Terminology notes: the scope and definition of referentiegeluiden differ among authors. Some treat them as a broad category of cues that establish and resolve reference, while others distinguish between signals that establish reference and those that resolve ambiguity. See also: deixis, deictic gestures, gesture-speech integration, reference in linguistics.