specificovat

Specificovat is a neologistic verb used primarily in Central European technical jargon to mean to specify or to make something specific in precise terms. It is most often encountered in software development, project management, and requirements engineering, where precise specifications are essential.

Etymology and usage: The form appears to be a calque or nonce formation combining the English adjective specific with a productive Slavic verb suffix, such as -ovat common in Czech and Slovak. Its emergence is linked to IT teams that mix English terminology with local inflection in informal documentation and communication.

Usage: Specificovat is used to emphasize turning general statements into concrete, testable requirements. In practice, teams may say, “We need to specificovat the API contract” or “Please specificovat the acceptance criteria.” In many contexts, it functions as a shorthand for marking a task as needing explicit, measurable details. Critics argue that coinages can hinder clarity for stakeholders unfamiliar with the term and may reduce readability in formal documents.

Relation to standard terms: In formal writing, speakers typically use existing verbs such as specifikovat or definovat in Slavic languages, or specify in English. Specificovat is mostly seen in informal notes, internal chats, or project glossaries within certain IT communities. It may be regarded as jargon or a nonstandard expression rather than part of the standard vocabulary.

See also: specification, specify, definovat, specifikace.