Unbestimmte

Unbestimmte is a German term meaning indefinite or undetermined. In linguistics and grammar, the adjective unbestimmt is used to describe items that are not specified or fixed. The expression unbestimmte Artikel refers to indefinite articles in German, namely ein, eine, and ein, which introduce non-specific nouns. The phrase unbestimmte Pronomen denotes indefinite pronouns such as jemand, etwas, man, and andere that do not refer to a particular identifiable object.

In mathematics and logic, the word unbestimmt is used to describe things that lack a determined value. The term unbestimmte Form (indeterminate form) is common in calculus, describing limit expressions such as 0/0 and ∞−∞ where the limit cannot be determined by direct substitution alone. The notion extends to unbestimmte Größen or unbestimmte Variablen, unknown quantities or variables in equations.

In philosophy and semantics, unbestimmt appears in discussions of vagueness, boundary cases, and the problem of specification. The term is often contrasted with definite or determinate forms.

Etymology: from un- (not) and bestimmt (determined). In German, unbestimmt is used both as adjective and adverb, with inflected forms adapting to gender, case, and number. The plural noun form Unbestimmte is rare but may occur in linguistic texts to refer to indefinite items as a category.

See also: definite article, indefinite article, pronoun, indeterminate form, vagueness.