What is a brand-new entity?

Definition
	A brand-new entity is a referent that
	has not been mentioned previously in the discourse, and is assumed by the speaker to be previously unknown to the addressee.

Example (English)

In the following example, a guy I work with refers to a brand-new entity. However, when referred to again as he, it is no longer brand new, but salient information:

A guy I work with says he knows your sister.

Source:

Prince 1981 233

Kind
	Here is a kind of brand-new entity:
	What is an anchored entity?

Generic
	A brand-new entity is a kind of
	What is new information?

Source
	Prince 1981 233, 235–236

Context for this page:

Concept module: brand-new entity
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): B
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004