exemplars and prototypes

[Wallace Chafe]

On Sun, 18 Oct 1998, Brian MacWhinney wrote:

> Exemplars are real things.  Like the third votive candle from the left in
> my cupboard -- the one with the green tinge and heavy base.

It seems to me that the distinction here should not be based on "reality"
(whatever that is) vs. unreality, but on particular instances vs.
categories.  Imagined entities can be particulars just as well as real
ones.  Moby Dick is as particular a whale as Willy.

Wally Chafe