If the
definition explains the meaning of a word, surely it
can't be essential that you should have heard the word
before. It is the ostensive definition's
business to
give it a meaning.
Let us then
explain the word “tove” by
pointing to a pencil and saying “this is
tove”. (Inste
ad
of “this is tove” I could here
have said “this is called
‘tove’”.
I point this out to remove, once and for all, the idea
that the words of the ostensive definition predicate something of
the defined; the confusion between the sentence “this is
red”, attributing the colour red to something, and this
ostensive definition “this is called
‘red’”.) Now the ostensive
definition “this is tove” can
be interpreted in all sorts of ways. I will give a
few such interpretations and use English words with well
established usage. The definition then can be
interpreted to mean:–
3.
“This
is a pencil”,
“This is
round”,
“This is wood”,
“This is one”,
“This is hard”, etc.
etc.