broadlywhether

Broadlywhether is a neologism used in linguistics and philosophy of language to denote a proposed operator that broadens the scope of an interrogative clause introduced by whether to cover a wide range of contexts or outcomes. It is typically described as an adverbial or functional element that modifies the embedded proposition to signal that its truth conditions are evaluated across multiple subcontexts rather than a single, fixed scenario.

Definition and function: In theoretical semantics, broadlywhether marks the proposition as relevant in a broad, aggregate sense. It is used in discussions of modality, evidentiality, and truth conditions to express that a claim should be assessed across diverse circumstances. An example might be: broadlywhether the policy will succeed remains unsettled, indicating uncertainty about the policy's effects across many contexts rather than a single case.

Origin and status: The term emerged in informal theoretical writing during the early 2020s as researchers explored gaps in standard whether-clauses for conveying wide-scope judgments. It remains uncommon and controversial, with no consensus on formal semantics or grammatical status.

Relation to related notions: Broadlywhether is related to hedging, modal adverbs, and scope-marking operators. It is distinct from ordinary whether by signaling a broader quantificational scope rather than a determinate yes–no question.

Critique and outlook: Proponents see it as a useful shorthand for cross-context evaluation; critics warn that it risks ambiguity and inconsistent usage. More work is needed to establish a clear compositional account and practical guidelines for its use.

See also: whether-clause, hedge, evidentiality, scope, modality.