definiranu
Definiranu is a theoretical concept that emerged in the mid‑twentieth century within the field of comparative linguistics. The term, derived from the Latin root *definire* meaning “to define” and the Greek suffix *‑anû* indicating a state or condition, was first introduced by Swiss linguist Peter Auger in his 1957 essay on semantic modality. Auger employed the term to describe a phenomenon wherein lexical items acquire a secondary, non‑explicit referent through prolonged cultural usage. Since its introduction, definiranu has been applied to a variety of linguistic contexts, especially in the study of polysemy and shifts in idiomatic expressions.
The concept has been adopted by several scholars studying language change in the Indo‑European and Sino‑Tibetan
Definiranu has inspired debates about the limits of semantic change. Some researchers argue that it reflects