Specificsthe

Specificsthe is a coined term in linguistic theory used to describe a hypothetical determiner that encodes both definiteness and speaker-oriented specificity within a single marker. It is not known as a real morpheme in documented languages but serves as a tool in discussions about how determiner systems could combine information about identity and discourse accessibility.

Description and function: In theoretical accounts, specificsthe would mark a noun phrase as referring to a unique, discourse-identifiable entity that is specifically relevant to the speaker and hearer. This contrasts with plain definiteness, which signals identifiability, and with non-specific readings, which do not. Specificsthe could be realized as a fused determiner or as a clitic attached to the noun phrase, and its interpretation would rely on discourse context, prior mention, and speaker knowledge. Its presence could interact with modifiers, relative clauses, and focus marking.

Distribution and typology: The placement of specificsthe would typically be before the noun following a language’s existing determiner system. Some theoretical frameworks treat it as a distinct category separate from definite articles and demonstratives, while others integrate it into a broad spectrum of specificity markers. Cross-linguistic predictions suggest that languages with rich demonstrative and article systems might be more likely to accommodate a dedicated specificity-definiteness marker like specificsthe, whereas languages with only a single determiner might not.

Example: In a hypothetical language X, a sentence could read specificsthe dog that I mentioned yesterday slept, glossed as SPEC-DEF dog that I mentioned yesterday slept, meaning “the specific dog I mentioned yesterday slept.”

See also: definiteness, specificity, determiners, demonstratives.