certainparticular

Certainparticular is a term used in linguistics to describe a determiner-noun construction that combines the words certain and particular to indicate a referent that is known and uniquely identifiable within a given context. The construction suggests that the speaker has a specific item in mind, but not necessarily disclosing it to the listener. It is discussed in semantics and pragmatics as a way to encode both specificity and a degree of emphasis.

In practice, certainparticular functions similarly to definite noun phrases in restricting the referent, but with an added semi-lexical emphasis. It appears in phrases such as a certain particular issue or a certain particular book, where the speaker intends to single out one item among many possibilities, yet without naming it explicitly. The phrasing can convey extra insistence or precision beyond a simple definite description.

Syntax and usage notes: the determiner phrase precedes a singular or count noun and may interact with discourse context to signal salience or familiarity. The construction is relatively uncommon in everyday speech and is more often found in literary, argumentative, or analytic prose where emphasis or nuance is desired. It is typically treated as a stylistic variant rather than a standard grammatical category.

History and scholarly context: the term certainparticular emerged in late 20th to early 21st century linguistic literature as a descriptive label for such determiner constructions. It is discussed in relation to pleonastic emphasis, intensity modifiers, and referential elements such as definite descriptions and demonstratives. Some scholars view the construction as a usefulness tool for examining how speakers encode specificity, while others caution that it can blur distinctions between determiner functions and emphatic modifiers.