Reference borrowing: The case of implement terms

The article reports experiments testing the theory of reference for implement terms, using “fax machine” and “abacus” as examples. We found strong evidence against the description theory that the reference of these terms is determined by the descriptions that participants associate with them. This supports the causal theory of reference borrowing for these terms. We emphasize that our findings do not support a causal theory of the initial reference fixing by the “experts” who introduce an implement term. Indeed, we think it highly plausible that reference is initially fixed by a description of the implement's function and defining physical characteristics.