E-type pronoun

A term used in SEMANTICS for a PRONOUN which is interpreted as equivalent to a DEFINITE NOUN PHRASE construction by modifying the HEAD of the ANTECEDENT of the pronoun with a RELATIVE CLAUSE constructed from the minimal clause contained in the antecedent. For example, in Few players like the manager, and they are all newcomers, the pronoun they is seen as equivalent to the players who like the manager. The term was introduced by philosopher Gareth Evans (1946–80); its etymology is unclear, though suggestions range from the serious (an abbrevation of the originator’s name) to the jocular (an allusion to the ‘(h)ee-haw’ sound made by DONKEY SENTENCES, to which the notion historically relates).