Do we always speak of what we mean? Do we always use reference in order to denote meaning and how can we really define its counterparts? Language can be ‘misleading’ in certain cases since not all referring expressions necessarily convey reference. Definite descriptions, deictics, generics, indexicals, proper names etc., should not be regarded as simple cases of referring expressions as their meaning goes beyond the utterance they occur. Their reference is shaped both by the intention of the speaker and the way the audience makes the identification with what is being referred. Non-referring is not restricted only to the attributive, or equative use of referring expressions. This paper will follow a more critical approach concerning (non)reference and examples will be drawn from newspaper articles, political speeches and advertisements; (non)reference will be considered as the interrelation of the situation derived from a particular context, on the basis of who, to whom, why, when, where and how norms of interaction, interpretation and genres are used.
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The paper was presented in the 20th International Symposium of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics.
To my supervisors -professors for their guidance, my colleagues for the support and most of all to despoina for her encouragement...
