Deutlichem

Deutlichem is a form that occurs in German texts but is not a standard lexical item in modern dictionaries. It is generally treated as a variation or potential misspelling of the dative singular inflection of the adjective deutlich. The normative dative singular form in standard German is deutlichem, as in phrases without a definite determiner or with certain determiner combinations.

In German grammar, adjectives inflect for case, gender, and number. When an adjective stands in the dative singular masculine or neuter position without a determiner, the strong declension typically yields a form like deutlichem. The oft-cited correct examples include mit deutlichem Hinweis or in deutlichem Maß, where deutlichem marks the dative singular masculine/neuter adjective and Hinweis or Maß serves as the modified noun.

Usage and considerations:

- Deutlichem may appear in some texts as an alternative spelling, but such usage is not standard. Readers encountering deutlichem should consider it a potential nonstandard form or typographical variant rather than a canonical entry.

- In scholarly or prescriptive descriptions of German grammar, deutlichem is usually flagged as nonstandard, with deutlichem presented as the correct form in contemporary usage.

- The distinction between standard and nonstandard forms is part of broader discussions of adjective declension, orthography, and historical variation in German.

Related notes:

- The adjective deutlich (clear, evident) is common in both written and spoken German, with its inflected forms depending on determiner presence and syntactic position.

- When teaching or learning German grammar, focus is typically placed on the standard dative singular form deutlichem for masculine/neuter and deutlicher for feminine in appropriate constructions.