Referential Theory

1. Referential theory is confused by terms that have the same referent but different
meanings such as “Morning Star”, “Evening Star”.
2. Linguistic expressions have the meanings they do because things, what they means is;
what they stands for (Dog) (Fish).
3. Words are like labels, they are symbols that represent designate, name, denote, or refer to
items in the word.
4. The noun “Dog” refers to dogs as the French “Chien”. In German language the word
“HUND” refers to dog.
5. “The cat sat on the mat” represents some cat is sitting on some mat. “The cat” is

designating “That cat”. “The mat” is designating “That mat”. Whereas ‘Sat on” is
denoting the relation of Sitting on.
6. Meaning of a term is the thing(s) in the word it refers to.

Limitations / Problems in Referential theory:

1) Words for Abstract noun/ Imaginary objects:
Not every word does name or denote any actual object or thing specially the abstract nouns
like love, death, soul and hate etc.

There are names of non-existent items like Pegasus (an immortal winged horse
mythological creature)

2) Consider a simple subject-predicate sentence for example: Ralph is fat.

But we don’t know how fat is Ralph.

3) There are words that grammatically are nouns but do not name either individual thing
Or abstracts items such as qualities.
Example:
 4) Many parts of speech teach other than nouns don’t seem to refer to things if many
Sort or it any way at all.
For example:
Very, of, and, the, a, yes, hey, Alas. etc
5) According to reference theory a sentence is a list of names, but a mere list of names
Doesn’t convey anything.
E.g. Fred, Martha, Irving

Explanation
The names can’t be used to assert anything even if Marta or Irving is an abstract identity rather
than a physical identity.