indefiniitsuse

Indefiniitsuse, or indefiniteness, is a semantic property of noun phrases and expressions that do not refer to a specific, identifiable entity. It contrasts with definiteness, where the referent is known in the discourse context.

In natural languages, indefiniteness is commonly marked by indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” in English, or by the absence of articles in languages that use zero articles. Other languages use quantifiers (some, several), numerals (one, a few), or demonstratives to signal indefiniteness. The noun phrase may introduce a new discourse referent or refer to a generally non-specific object.

Semantically and pragmatically, indefinites often introduce information that is not yet established in the conversation. They can present new topics, non-specific instances, or generic statements. Over the course of discourse, indefinite references may become definite as the referent is introduced and tracked.

In logic and formal semantics, indefiniteness is associated with existential quantification (there exists an x such that ...) and with non-specific or non-unique reference. The interpretation of indefinites interacts with context, scope, and specificity, influencing inference and discourse interpretation.

Cross-linguistically, the expression of indefiniteness varies. Some languages have dedicated indefinite articles; others rely on context, quantifiers, or demonstratives. In Estonian, for example, there is no indefinite article, so indefiniteness is typically conveyed through context, numerals, or quantifiers and demonstratives. See also: definiteness, noun phrase, article, quantifier, discourse.