verweisende

Verweisende is a term used in linguistics to describe expressions that point to or refer to entities, events, or positions within discourse or the surrounding context. In German grammar, it can function as a participle adjective (verweisend) or in its attributive form as verweisende, for example in phrases like verweisende Ausdrücke or verweisende Pronomen.

Verweisende expressions are typically associated with two broad functions: deixis and reference. Deixis (or deictic reference) attaches meaning to the speaker’s or addressee’s current context, such as time, space, or perspective. Anaphora, by contrast, uses reference to connect to a previously mentioned antecedent in the text, helping to maintain cohesion. Cataphoric reference refers forward to something not yet introduced.

Common verweisende elements in German include demonstratives (dieser, jener), demonstrative determiners (dieses Buch), and pronouns (er, sie) when used to point back to a prior noun or concept. Relative pronouns in relative clauses also serve a referential function, linking a clause to an antecedent. In addition, deictic adverbs (hier, dort) contribute to verweisende reference by anchoring utterances in a particular context.

In linguistic typology, languages differ in how explicitly they encode referencing. Some rely heavily on overt pronouns and demonstratives, while others permit or prefer zero anaphora, where reference is understood from context without an explicit verweisender form.

See also: deixis, anaphora, anaphoric reference, demonstratives, pronouns, cohesion in discourse.