Of Pegs and Nouns, Stuff and Things

Abstract

Introduction:  In his story "The Man and the Peg Words," Bert Beesten introduces the notion of peg words.  In "Peg Words and Parsing," the first "theme" that does with it, Berrie Heesen claims that in a class which is familiar with parsing and notions such as common noun, the story will automatically elicit questions about the relationship between peg words and common nouns.  "This can lead to linguistic-philosophical investigations."  The "theme" claims furthermore that in the course of a classroom conversation the question will arise quite easily to what extent the set of peg words corresponds to the set of common nouns and the set of things.  Below I will try to reflect a little on this question ("philosophize about it").