What is definite identifiability?

Definition
	Definite identifiability is a kind of definiteness which indicates that an expression’s referent(s) is in some way identifiable to both speaker and addressee.
	The referent is identifiable because of a shared knowledge or situation, including a previous mention of the referent.

Examples (English)
	the he

Generic
	Definite is a kind of
	What is definiteness?

Sources
	Pei and Gaynor 1954 53
	Anderson, S. 1985 179
	Lyons 1968 276
	Mish 1991 334
	Hawkins, J. 1978 202

Context for this page:

Concept module: definite identifiability
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): D
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

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