Wantsuch

Wantsuch is a neologism used in linguistic and discourse-analytic contexts to describe a specific desiderative construction in English where the verb want is followed by such, as in I want such a jacket, I want such kindness, or I want such talent. The term captures how such acts as an intensifier narrow the reference to a particular quality or exemplary instance rather than a generic item, and it often conveys an evaluative or aspirational stance.

Origin and usage notes: The word wantsuch is not part of a formal grammatical tradition and does not have an entry in standard grammars. It has appeared in informal and online discussions among linguists and language enthusiasts as a concise label for the pattern described above. In actual sentences, such phrases can be formed with count or noncount nouns and may involve variations like such a, such, or such noun phrases, depending on the syntactic constraints of the object being described.

Semantics and pragmatics: The construction typically signals a desire for a particularly notable or idealized instance within a category, rather than a routine or interchangeable item. It can interact with contrastive focus and implicature, suggesting that other possibilities fall short of the speaker’s standard or expectation. The degree of specificity implied by such can vary with context and intonation.

See also: desiderative constructions, demonstratives, focus and pragmatics of reference. Because wantsuch is a developing label without wide formal adoption, usage and interpretation can differ across studies and communities.