Attributive" Uses of Definite Descriptions Are Always Attributive

Abstract: The scope of this short paper is to show that the examples Ilhan Inan uses to undermine Donnellan's distinction (primarily, the attributive uses of definite descriptions in general) fall short on account of wrong interpretation those examples were provided with in his paper. Whilst Ilhan Inan showed how complex definite descriptions (having an embedded referential term) may cause doubts as to which category they should be put in, these referring terms only play a secondary role. I argue that all of his three key examples are, in fact, sheer attributive uses of definite descriptions and have to be taken as such, which seriously diminishes the pedestal Inan places his argument on

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Attributive" Uses of Definite Descriptions Are Always Attributive ; volume:1 ; number:22 ; year:2009 ; pages:1-6 ; extent:6 ; Kriterion ; 1, Heft 22 (2009), 1-6 (gesamt 6)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Agbaba, Krešimir

Further information

• DOI: 10.1515/krt-2009-012201
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022090314472940390886
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:24 AM CEST