Referential anchoring without a definite article: The case of Mopan (Mayan)

Mopan Maya is a language in which pragmatic factors play a significant role in
referential anchoring. Its article occurs in both definite and indefinite contexts, and so
do bare nominals. We discuss several forms that assist with referential anchoring,
using Dryer’s (2014) reference hierarchy as an organizing framework, but none of
these forms is obligatory for any of the functions in the hierarchy. Rather than
explicitly encoding, e. g., definiteness or specificity, their employment is sensitive
to factors such as discourse salience.