referisses

Referisses is a fictional linguistic term used to describe a class of referential markers that aim to maintain continuity of referents across discourse. The word is a coined neologism derived from refer- (to refer) and a nominal suffix, created in speculative discussions of referential cohesion. In this hypothetical framework, referisses function as discrete devices that signal a continuing link to a previously introduced entity beyond the reach of ordinary pronouns or definite descriptions.

Definition and mechanism

A referisse is conceived as a non-deictic marker that attaches to a segment of text to indicate that a particular referent remains active in the discourse. It can operate across clauses or paragraphs and may be explicit (a dedicated cue word or particle) or implicit (a structural cue recognized by a processing system). The primary purpose is to reduce ambiguity when the same referent appears non-consecutively or when several entities are mentioned in close succession.

Relationship to other concepts

Referisses are related to established concepts in linguistics such as anaphora, deixis, and referential indexing. Unlike standard pronouns or definite descriptions, referisses are described as overarching markers of referential continuity, potentially guiding interpretation in long discsourses or in processing models that track entities over time and space.

Usage and debate

In studies that entertain the term, referisses are discussed as a theoretical tool for analyzing cohesion in narratives and in computational models that require robust coreference tracking. Critics argue that the concept overlaps with existing notions of indexing and may be redundant outside specialized theoretical contexts.

Example

The detective examined the dossier. The referisse indicated that the same subject discussed earlier remains in focus in the following paragraph, even when the name is omitted.

See also: anaphora, deixis, pronouns, referential cohesion. Further reading on referential theory and coreference tracking may be consulted for related concepts.