enumeratív

Enumeratív is a term used in linguistics and formal semantics to describe constructions that explicitly enumerate items in a sequence. It covers expressions that introduce, order, or list elements in a discourse, including order adverbs (first, second), numerals used as classifiers, and punctuation- or intonation-based cues that mark a list. The term is typically used as an umbrella label for the mechanisms that signal enumeration across different languages and registers.

Etymology: The word is a neo-Latin formation built from the verb enumerare, to count, combined with a common suffix used to form adjectives in linguistic terminology. In scholarly usage, enumeratív is applied to both the overt markers (words like first, second) and the syntactic constructions that coordinate items in a sequence.

Usage: An enumeratív construction often appears at the beginning or within a clause introducing a list, followed by items connected by conjunctions or punctuation. Example: "First, we present three cases: A, B, and C." Here "First" functions as an enumerative marker. In some languages, dedicated particles or clitics serve as enumeration markers, while in others the list is signaled by punctuation and intonation.

Relation to related concepts: Enumeratív overlaps with discourse markers, serial conjunctions, and enumerative numerals. In formal semantics, it interacts with scope and focus, affecting how the listed items are interpreted.

See also: enumeration in linguistics, list construction, discourse marker, numerals, quantifiers.