Inferable Entity
Definition:
An inferable entity is a referent that may be inferred by the addressee from other information that has already been given.
Examples:
(English)
- I got on a bus yesterday and the driver was drunk.
- In the above sentence, the mention of bus makes a driver inferable; a bus is assumed to have a driver. Thus the addressee may assume, without further specification from the speaker, that it is the driver of the bus who is spoken of.
Source:
233, 236
This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library. Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003.