markedness

Markedness is a concept in linguistics that describes a relationship between related linguistic forms in which one member is marked and the other unmarked. A marked form carries additional specification, restriction, or a particular contextual use, while the unmarked form serves as the default or neutral member. The notion is applied across phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics to describe how contrasts are encoded with varying degrees of specificity or rarity.

In morphology, markedness often appears in form-alisations of number, tense, gender, or case. English, for example, generally marks plural nouns with an -s, while the singular form is unmarked. In many Romance languages, nouns and adjectives are marked for gender and number, and verbs mark person and tense. The marked forms convey information that the unmarked base does not.

In phonology, markedness relates to sounds or features that are less common or more complex across languages. A language may use a marked phoneme or contrast that is absent in many other languages, or rely on simpler, unmarked inventories for everyday speech.

In syntax and semantics, markedness can appear in voice (active vs. passive), aspect, mood, or polarity, and in the way agreement or case marking is applied. Marked forms often occur in more restricted contexts or to signal particular meanings, while unmarked forms provide general or default meanings.

Notes: markedness is relative to a language and analytical framework; it is a descriptive tool rather than an absolute property. See also unmarked form, linguistic typology, and feature theory.