Too much reference: Semantics for multiply signifying terms (Q928709)

The logic of singular terms which do not refer to anything, such as ``Santa Claus'', has been the concern of free logic. The present essay considers singular terms which refer to more than one object. There are some remarks on the role of these terms in comparing scientific theories. It develops an intuitive idea of \textit{Hartry Field} [``Theory change and indeterminacy of reference'', J. Philos. 70, 462--481 (1973)] and discussed by \textit{Joe Camp} [Confusion. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press (2001)] to use supervaluations. This strategy leads to problems with existence claims, but these can be overcome. The semantics are compared with two alternative semantics for multiply signifying terms.