Reference:
An act by which a speaker/writer
uses language to enable a listener/reader to
identify someone or something.
To perform an act of
reference, we can use proper nouns (Chomsky, Jennifer,
Whiskas), other nouns in
phrases (a writer, my friend, the cat) or pronouns (he, she, it).
We sometimes assume
thatthesewordsidentifysomeoneorsomethinguniquely,butitismore
accuratetosay
that, for each word or phrase, there is a “range of reference.”