Markedsetterspørsel

Markedsetterspørsel, also known as markedness or markedness scale, is a concept in linguistics that refers to the relative degree of markedness or unmarkedness of linguistic elements within a language. It is a fundamental aspect of linguistic typology, which studies the classification and description of languages based on their structural properties.

In a markedness scale, linguistic elements are arranged in a hierarchy based on their frequency of occurrence, their complexity, or their deviation from a presumed universal default or unmarked state. The unmarked element is typically the most frequent, simplest, or least deviant, while the marked elements are less frequent, more complex, or more deviant.

For example, in English, the unmarked gender for nouns is masculine, while feminine is marked. Similarly, the unmarked number for nouns is singular, while plural is marked. In phonology, the unmarked place of articulation for consonants is labial, while velar is marked.

Markedness scales are not absolute and can vary across languages. However, they provide a useful framework for understanding the distribution and variation of linguistic elements within and across languages. They are also relevant to the study of language acquisition, language change, and language typology.