Definitivitás

Definitivitás, or definiteness, is a linguistic category that marks whether a noun phrase refers to a specific, identifiable entity within the discourse. A definite noun phrase refers to a referent known to the speaker and listener, or uniquely identifiable in the current context. An indefinite noun phrase introduces a non-specific or new referent.

Expression and typology: The category is typically signaled by determiners or demonstratives. In many languages this takes the form of definite and indefinite articles, as in English the vs a. Hungarian uses definite articles a and az and an indefinite article egy to encode definiteness and indefiniteness; demonstratives and possessives can also function as determiners. Some languages lack articles altogether and rely on other devices such as demonstratives, word order, or case marking to signal definiteness.

Semantics and syntax: Definite marking is often linked to information structure and anaphora: definite NPs tend to refer to entities already introduced or presupposed, while indefinite NPs introduce new information. The notion interacts with specificity and givenness, but is not identical to either concept.

Cross-linguistic variation: Languages differ in how definiteness is encoded. Some languages have robust article systems; others use only demonstratives or a bare noun with context. Some mark definiteness on verbs or nouns via morphology; others rely on word order or pronouns. The study of definitiveness intersects with pronoun systems, article usage, and discourse pragmatics.

Hungarian linguistics treats definitivitás as central to noun phrase structure and discourse marking, reflecting how speakers signal identifiability of referents through determiners and related devices.