forward-referring
|for-ward-re-fer-ring|
🇺🇸
/ˈfɔrwərd rɪˈfɝɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˈfɔːwəd rɪˈfɜːrɪŋ/
(forward-refer)
referring to something that comes later
Etymology
'forward-referring' is a modern compound formed from 'forward' + 'referring'. 'forward' originates from Old English 'forweard', where 'for-' meant 'toward' and 'weard' meant 'ward, facing'; 'refer' comes from Latin 'referre' (through Medieval/Old French and Middle English), where 're-' meant 'back' and 'ferre' meant 'to carry'.
'forward' comes from Old English 'forweard' and developed in Middle and Modern English into 'forward'. 'refer' came from Latin 'referre' via Old French/Medieval Latin into Middle English 'referen/referen' and then Modern English 'refer'. The compound 'forward-referring' is a recent English coinage in linguistic description, combining those elements to mean 'referring forward'.
Individually the parts meant 'toward the front' ('forward') and 'to carry back/report' ('refer'), but combined in modern usage they mean 'to refer ahead in the discourse' (i.e., to point to something that appears later).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a forward-referring expression (an expression that points ahead to something mentioned later in the text).
A forward-referring expression (cataphora) directs the reader or listener to information that comes later in the sentence or discourse.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 1
referring to something that appears later in the discourse (i.e., a cataphoric reference).
In the sentence "Although he was nervous, John gave a good talk," the pronoun "he" is forward-referring.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/29 10:04