indefiniten

Indefiniten is a grammatical form rather than an independent lexical item. In linguistic descriptions, indefiniten refers to the inflected form of the adjective indefinit (meaning non-specific or non-definite) when it modifies a plural noun. It is most commonly seen in German-language grammar discussions, where it appears as the attributive ending on the adjective before plural nouns, for example in the phrase die indefiniten Artikel (the indefinite articles) or die indefiniten Pronomen (the indefinite pronouns). The form mirrors the general pattern of German adjective declension, where adjectives take -en endings in many plural contexts.

In broader terms, indefiniteness in linguistics describes reference that is not to a specific, identifiable entity. Elements that encode indefiniteness can include indefinite articles, indefinite pronouns, and certain quantifiers. The exact realization of indefiniteness varies by language: some languages have dedicated indefinite articles or pronouns, others use numerals or classifiers, and some lack explicit marking altogether, relying on context.

Etymology-wise, indefiniten derives from the German adjective indefinit, itself tracing to Latin indefinitus via the common European pathway of Latin-based grammatical terminology. As a label, indefiniten is primarily encountered in academic grammar discussions and reference works, where authors discuss the category of indefiniteness and its linguistic manifestations rather than in everyday prose.

See also: Indefinitpronomen, unbestimmter Artikel, definite article, indefinite article, determiner, quantifier.