indexical

adj, noun — 3 senses

indexical

adj

Etymology From index + -ical.

1

Of, pertaining to, or like, an index; having the form of an index.

2

Human sciences, Linguistics, Philosophy, Sciences Having or imparting a meaning, or signifying a referent, that changes according to context.

  • In order that they might represent the worlds of experience and imagination, such symbols have to be put together with ‘indexical’ signs, as Peirce termed them, such as articles (the, some), demonstratives (this, those), tense-inflections (walk-s, walk-ed), moods (may/might walk, shall/should walk) etc.2012, Michael Silverstein, “The [] walked down the street”, in London Review of Books, volume 34, number 21:
Derived terms
indexicalisation, indexicalism, indexicalist, indexicality, indexically, nonindexical, socioindexical

indexical

noun

Etymology From index + -ical.

1

Human sciences, Linguistics, Philosophy, Sciences An indexical term.

  • So even with indexicals, there is a Sinn for every meaning.2007 August 15, Wayne A. Davis, “Replies to Green, Szabó, Jeshion, and Siebel”, in Philosophical Studies, volume 137, number 3, →DOI:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.