Definition
A potential presupposition is a presupposition that is triggered by some part of an utterance (such as a subordinate clause) taken in isolation, but that may or may not be a presupposition of the whole utterance.
Examples
English
The utterance John says that the king of France is bald has two potential presuppositions:
- There is someone identified as John.
- There is a king of France.
Sources 1
- Gazdar 1979, 124