Indefinite proper names and quantification over manifestations

Abstract

Starting from the observation that in German proper names can be determined by the indefinite article without apparently shedding their original referent, this paper presents a range of “non- standard” uses of proper names, among them one we will call the “manifestation use”. It will be suggested  that certain occurrences of proper names cannot be adequately  analysed without assuming manifestations as a basic unit of quantification.