Definitecase

Definitecase is a term used in linguistic discussions to describe a proposed morphosyntactic category that encodes definiteness on noun phrases through dedicated case marking. It is not universally accepted as a distinct, cross-linguistic category, but appears in certain analyses of how definiteness interacts with grammatical case.

In languages where definitecase is posited, the definite reference of a noun phrase is signaled by a specific case form, separate from or in addition to other case markings. Realizations may be suffixes, enclitics, clitics, or separate particles, and the marking can accompany number or gender agreement. Definitecase may co-occur with articles, demonstratives, or other definiteness markers, or it may replace them in systems where a separate article is not used.

Typologically, definitecase is discussed as one way to account for patterns in which definite nouns behave differently from indefinite ones with respect to case assignment, agreement, or accompanying determiners. Researchers consider whether such marking genuinely constitutes a separate case or is better analyzed as a lawful interaction between definiteness and existing case paradigms, such as differential marking or article-like determiners.

The concept remains a topic of theoretical debate. Proponents argue that a dedicated definitecase analysis can capture systematic contrasts that other accounts struggle to explain, while critics contend that observed patterns can often be recast using established mechanisms like determiner languages, optional article systems, or allophonic variation of case forms. As such, definitecase typically appears in discussions of morphosyntax, definiteness, and the cross-linguistic interface between determiners and case marking. See also: definiteness, case marking, determiners.