sonderform

Sonderform is a German term meaning "special form" or "variant." It is used to designate an instance that is considered distinct from a standard type within a classification, catalog, or design. The word combines Sonder ("special") and Form ("form"), and its usage is primarily found in German-language contexts across several fields.

In design and manufacturing, a sonderform may refer to a nonstandard shape produced for a specific commission or for experimental purposes. Such forms are often documented in catalogs as limited or custom items and receive separate description from ordinary forms.

In botany and horticulture, sonderform can denote a plant form that differs from the typical cultivar or wild type, such as unusual leaf color, growth habit, or flower morphology that warrants separate naming or notes in a taxonomy.

In linguistics or philology, sonderform sometimes describes an irregular or exceptional inflected form, allomorph, or usage variant observed in a particular dialect or historical stage. In these contexts, the term highlights departure from a regular pattern rather than a general rule.

In philosophy or mathematics, the term may be used informally to describe an exceptional or non-typical instance of a rule or structure, but such usage is not standardized and remains context-dependent.

Overall, sonderform serves as a label for nonstandard or context-specific variants that require explicit identification beyond ordinary forms.