Specifinom

Specifinom is a term that refers to a specific type of nom, a unit of measurement used in the study of linguistics and phonetics. It is particularly associated with the work of the linguist Morris Swadesh, who developed the concept as part of his research into language change and linguistic typology.

The term "specifinom" is derived from "specific" and "nom," where "nom" is a unit of linguistic distance or difference. Swadesh proposed that languages could be compared and classified based on the number of basic vocabulary items they shared, with each shared item representing one nom. A specifinom, therefore, refers to a specific instance or measure of this linguistic distance.

In practical terms, a specifinom can be used to quantify the degree of similarity or difference between two languages. For example, if two languages share 80 out of 100 basic vocabulary items, they would be said to have a specifinom score of 80. This score can then be used to make inferences about the historical relationships between languages, the rate of language change, and other linguistic phenomena.

While the concept of specifinom has been influential in historical linguistics and linguistic typology, it is not without its critics. Some linguists argue that the method is too simplistic and does not account for the complex nature of language change. Others point out that the choice of basic vocabulary items can be subjective and may introduce bias into the analysis. Despite these criticisms, the concept of specifinom remains a useful tool in the study of language and linguistics.