Mittetäielike

Mittetäielike is a term used in theoretical linguistics to describe a class of utterances that remain syntactically well-formed but semantically under-specified due to ellipsis or partial realization. The concept is not widely standardized and appears primarily in niche discussions of how languages handle incomplete information, incomplete predicates, or fragmented discourse. In practice, mittetäielike structures are argued to rely on context, prosody, or prior discourse to supply the missing material.

Etymology and scope

The compound appears to draw on roots meaning not complete (mitte = not; täielik = complete) with a linguistic suffix forming an adjective. The label is most often applied to fragments, telegraphic-style utterances, or sentences in which one or more arguments, modifiers, or even predicates are omitted but recoverable from context. It is distinguished from full ellipsis by the presence of surface structure that remains interpretable without requiring a complete reconstruction of the underlying proposition.

Key features

- Under-specification: surface form signals incomplete information rather than a fully specified proposition.

- Context dependence: interpretation largely relies on surrounding discourse or shared knowledge.

- Interaction with ellipsis: mittetäielike forms often occur alongside conventional ellipsis or in languages with pro-drop or topic-marking tendencies.

- Discourse function: can serve to foreground information, indicate stance, or maintain cohesion with minimal overt content.

Examples and usage

Fragments like "If necessary." or "The plan, feasible?" illustrate partial realization, where context supplies the missing elements. The term is mainly used in theoretical discussions rather than as a broad analytical category in contemporary grammar.

See also

Ellipsis, fragment (linguistics), pro-drop languages, telegraphic speech.

References

Due to its limited 표urce use, mittetäielike is discussed in select dissertations and papers on incomplete utterances and discourse-dependent interpretation.