Entre noms communs et noms propres : papa, maman, bébé

Abstract

The difficulties in classifying family names such as dad, mum, uncle, son, etc., as proper names or common names take on a new dimension if we integrate certain uses of undetermined common names such as baby (ex: If mom is okay, baby is okay). The main objective of this article is to use these examples to bring about some changes in the theories of proper names and common names. Starting from Alan Gardiner’s proposal, which gives a central role to proper names’ signifiers, and adding the concept of “validity sphere” inspired by Benoît de Cornulier, this work lays the foundations of a unified description.