Indicatedis

Indicatedis is a hypothetical linguistic category used in discussions of evidentiality and discourse stance. It denotes a single grammatical marker that signals that the proposition of a clause is based on indirect evidence, hearsay, or inference rather than direct observation.

Origin and form: The term indicatedis is a coinage combining indicare “to indicate” with a suffix -dis used in typological literature to name mood or evidential markers. In analyses, indicatedis may be realized as a clitic, suffix, or particle and may attach to the verb or entire clause, potentially interacting with tense and mood.

Function and typology: In theoretical or constructed languages, indicatedis would encode evidential status and speaker stance, often coexisting with other mood markers. It could be used to distinguish asserted information from that which is believed, inferred, or reported, and may interact with discourse markers to convey caution or stance.

Example: In a hypothetical language, the sentence “Mira indicatedis venit” would translate as “Mira came (it is reported).” This helps illustrate how a single marker could encode source of information alongside the main event.

Reception and status: Indicatedis is not a widely attested natural-language category; it appears primarily in theoretical discussions and conlang design as a way to study how evidentiality and stance might be integrated. It highlights the ongoing interest in how language encodes the source and reliability of information.