1 The property-theoretical, Performative-nominalistic Theory of Proper Names * Francesco Orilia ** ABSTRACT This paper embeds a theory of proper names in a general approach to singular reference based on type-free property theory. It is proposed that a proper name "N" is a sortal common noun whose meaning is essentially tied to the linguistic type "N". Moreover, "N" can be singularly referring insofar as it is elliptical for a definite description of the form "the N. " Following Montague, the meaning of a definite description is taken to be a property of properties. The proposed theory fulfils the major desiderata stemming from Kripke's works on proper names. 1. Introduction I pursue a general program - based on type-free property theory [cf. Orilia (1994, 1995, forthcoming)] - according to which singular reference can be accounted for in terms of general (or generic) reference, 1 * Some of the ideas of this paper have been presented at the Conference From Semantics to Pragmatics, Problems and Theories of Reference, organised by Alberto Voltolini in Palermo, March 24-27, 1997. I wish to thank the audience for raising some interesting questions. I am also grateful to Marco Santambrogio, for stimulating conversations on the topics of this paper, to an anonymous referee for helpful comments, and to Kevin Mulligan, Barry Smith, and Achille Varzi, for some bibliographic help. i.e., in terms of general terms expressing, or generically referring to, properties and relations (types, universals). More explicitly, I assume that a general term, whether ** Dipartimento di Filosofia e Scienze umane, Università di Macerata, 62100, Macerata, Italy. E-mail: orilia@unimc.it. 1 I leave it open whether singular reference by demonstratives or indexicals to private objects of perception provides an exception that must be acknowledged by this program.