specifiekeren

Specifiekeren is a Dutch verb that denotes making something more specific by giving explicit details about its features, scope, or requirements. The act involves turning vague or general statements into precise criteria that can be measured, evaluated, or implemented. In everyday use, the standard form is specificeren; specifiekeren is uncommon and often regarded as nonstandard, though it may appear in regional speech or historical texts as a variant or stylistic choice.

Etymology and form: The word is built from the adjective specifiek (specific) with the common verbal suffix -eren. The primary and widely accepted form is specificeren; specifiekeren mirrors the same root but is far less frequent in contemporary usage.

Usage and context: Specifiekeren tends to occur primarily in informal or regional contexts. In professional domains such as requirements engineering, project management, product development, and legal drafting, the preferred verb is specificeren, used to indicate the act of defining concrete criteria, boundaries, or specifications. When nonstandard forms appear, they are typically noted as regional or stylistic variants and should be avoided in formal writing to prevent ambiguity.

See also: specificeren, specificatie, eisen, vereisten, scope, requirements engineering, definiëren.