Määratavust

Määratavust, often translated as determinability or definiteness, is a concept in linguistics that refers to whether a noun phrase is specific or non-specific. It indicates whether the speaker or writer assumes the listener or reader knows exactly which entity or entities are being referred to.

In Estonian, for instance, the concept of määratavust is primarily expressed through grammatical case and possessive suffixes. The partitive case generally marks non-specific or indefinite entities, while the genitive case and possessive suffixes often indicate specific or definite entities. For example, "ma nägin koera" (I saw a dog) uses the partitive and implies a non-specific dog, whereas "ma nägin koera" (I saw the dog) using the genitive implies a specific, known dog.

This distinction between definite and indefinite noun phrases is a feature found in many languages, although the grammatical mechanisms used to express it vary. The ability to distinguish between specific and non-specific entities is crucial for clear communication, as it helps to avoid ambiguity and ensures that listeners and readers can correctly identify the referents of noun phrases. The concept is studied in comparative linguistics and language acquisition.