indefinitesingular

Indefinitesingular is a term used in linguistic theory to describe a subtype of indefinite noun phrases that refer to a single, non-specific entity. It signals indefiniteness while encoding singular number, distinguishing it from indefinite plurals and from definite or generic uses of the same noun. The term is common in discussions of determiner systems and numeral morphology.

Across languages, indefinitesingular is realized in several ways. It is often expressed with a singular determiner or article (for example, the English a/an in many contexts) or with a dedicated indefinite marker that marks singularity. Semantically, such phrases are usually existential, asserting that there exists an unspecified individual. Depending on grammar, they can also bear generic or distributive readings. Morphosyntactic behavior varies: some languages separate indefiniteness from number, others fuse them, and some rely on word order, classifiers, or prosody to signal indefiniteness.

Typology and cross-linguistic variation. In languages without a distinct indefinite article, indefinitesingular may be expressed with bare singular nouns, null determiners, or numerals plus nouns. Some languages have separate indefinite singular forms, while others merge singular and plural indefinites into one form. The category is therefore a theoretical tool for describing how languages encode reference to unspecific, single referents.

Example sketches. In English, the phrase a cat encodes an indefinite singular reference. In languages with dedicated indefinite markers, similar readings may be obtained with markers before a bare noun, rather than with a determiner like a or an.

See also: indefinites, articles, noun phrases, determiners.