oblique context As explained by Frege in ‘Über Sinn und Bedeutung’ (1892), a linguistic context is oblique (ungerade) if and only if an expression (e.g., proper name, dependent clause, or sentence) in that context does not express its direct (customary) sense. For Frege, the sense of an expression is the mode of presentation of its nominatum, if any. Thus in direct speech, the direct (customary) sense of an expression designates its direct (customary) nominatum. For example, the context of the proper name ‘Kepler’ in (1) Kepler died in misery. is non-oblique (i.e., direct) since the proper name expresses its direct (customary) sense, say, the sense of ‘the man who discovered the elliptical planetary orbits’, thereby designating its direct (customary) nominatum, Kepler himself. Moreover, the entire sentence expresses its direct sense, namely, the proposition that Kepler died in misery, thereby designating its direct nominatum, a truth-value, namely, the true. By contrast, in indirect speech an expression neither expresses its direct sense nor, therefore, designates its direct nominatum. One such sort of oblique context is direct quotation, as in (2) ‘Kepler’ has six letters. The word appearing within the quotation marks neither expresses its direct (customary) sense nor, therefore, designates its direct (customary) nominatum, Kepler. Rather, it designates a word, a proper name. Another sort of oblique context is engendered by the verbs of propositional attitude. Thus, the context of the proper name ‘Kepler’ in (3) Frege believed Kepler died in misery. is oblique, since the proper name expresses its indirect sense, say, the sense of the words ‘the man widely known as Kepler’, thereby designating its indirect nominatum, namely, the sense of ‘the man who discovered the elliptical planetary orbits’. Note that the indirect nominatum of ‘Kepler’ in (3) is the same as the direct sense of ‘Kepler’ in (1). Thus, while ‘Kepler’ in (1) designates the man Kepler, ‘Kepler’ in (3) designates the direct (customary) sense of the word ‘Kepler’ in (1). Similarly, in (3) the context of the dependent clause ‘Kepler died in misery’ is oblique since the dependent clause expresses its indirect sense, namely, the sense of the words ‘the proposition that Kepler died in misery’, thereby designating its indirect nominatum, namely, the proposition that Kepler died in misery. Note that the indirect nominatum of ‘Kepler died in misery’ in (3) is the same as the direct sense of ‘Kepler died in misery’ in (1). Thus, while ‘Kepler died in misery’ in (1) designates a truthvalue, ‘Kepler died in misery’ in (3) designates a proposition, the direct (customary) sense of the words ‘Kepler died in misery’ in (1).
See also INDIRECT DISCOURSE , MEANING, QUANTIFYING I. R.F.G.